TMZ Live

There's a new Harvard course covering all things Taylor Swift -- and yes, that means her relationships, including her Mr. Right Now, Travis Kelce ... so says the professor who's teaching the class.

One of Harvard's English professors, Stephanie Burt, joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss the class she'll be heading up next semester called 'Taylor Swift and Her World' -- which she made very clear will put an emphasis on the literary merit behind T-Swift's art.

It's obvious from the video, but Prof. Burt is a self-professed Swiftie, but says that's not the reason she's teaching this course. As she explains to us, Taylor's work/fandom are very much worthy of study.

In fact, because her personal life is so tied into her songwriting, that means who she dates will get some attention in this class. However, Prof. Burt notes they probably won't spend so much time on Trav ... mostly because she hasn't written a song about him just yet.

If history's any indication ... she might have to break up with him first for that to happen. 😅

Anyway, Harvard ain't the only higher-ed institution that's doing this for TayTay, for what it's worth ... the University of Florida is also introducing a Taylor-centric course of their own very soon -- and Arizona State already has one too. Indeed, academia hearts Taylor!

And, if it wasn't obvious already ... there's a ton of interest in this new Harvard course. As Professor Burt tells us, there are already hundreds of people who've signed up for the Spring.

Un nuevo curso de Harvard cubrirá todas las cosas de Taylor Swift y eso incluye sus relaciones, como la que tiene actualmente con su novio, Travis Kelce. Al menos así lo dice la profesora que va a enseñar la clase.

Una de las profesoras de Inglés de Harvard, Stephanie Burt, se unió a nosotros el martes en "TMZ Live" para hablar de la clase que dirigirá el próximo semestre llamada "Taylor Swift y su mundo", la que pondrá énfasis en el mérito literario detrás del arte de Swift.

Es obvio por el video que la profesora Burt es una Swiftie confesa, pero nos dice que esa no es la razón por la que está enseñando este curso. Como nos explica, la obra y el fanatismo hacia Taylor son dignos de estudio.

De hecho, como su vida personal está tan ligada a la composición de sus canciones, eso significa que en la clase se prestará atención a sus amoríos. Pero cree que probablemente no dedicarán mucho tiempo a Travis, ya que Taylor aún no ha escrito una canción sobre él.

Si nos guiamos por la historia, es posible que tenga que terminar con él primero para que eso suceda. 😅

De todos modos, Harvard no es la única institución de educación superior que está haciendo esto por TayTay, por si sirve de algo. La Universidad de Florida también está introduciendo un curso centrado en Taylor muy pronto, y Arizona State ya tiene otro también. De hecho, ¡el mundo académico ama a Taylor!

Y, si no era obvio ya, hay un montón de interés en este nuevo curso de Harvard. Como la profesora Burt nos dice, ya hay cientos de personas inscritas para la primavera.

La misteriosa enfermedad ha afectado a perros en más de una docena de estados y ha provocado graves enfermedades, puede -- solo puede -- vislumbrar una esperanza de contención.

Un golden retriever de 5 años llamado Ike se enfermó cerca de septiembre durante un espectáculo canino. Los dueños llevaron rápidamente a Ike al veterinario, donde le diagnosticaron la enfermedad que tiene a los dueños de perros en pánico -- un complejo de enfermedades respiratorias infecciosas caninas.

Ike fue llevado a un hospital veterinario y puesto en cuarentena. Con esta enfermedad, los perros pueden pasar rápidamente de tener tos a desarrollar una neumonía potencialmente mortal.

Se le administró a Ike un "antibiótico de último recurso" llamado cloramfenicol, que combate las infecciones bacterianas. La familia del perro le contó a ABC7 que, en cuestión de horas, ya no respiraba con dificultad.

La dueña, Becky Oliver, afirmó: "Es un antibiótico de último recurso muy, muy potente, pero es lo que lo salvó. De lo contrario, ya no estaría aquí".

Hasta ahora, las autoridades no han comentado sobre la eficacia del antibiótico.

La enfermedad se ha estado propagando y se ha encontrado en California, Oregón, Indiana, Illinois, Washington, Idaho, Nevada y en varios estados del noreste.

The mysterious illness that has caused dogs in more than a dozen states to get extremely sick may -- just may -- show promise of containment.

A 5-year-old golden retriever named Ike got sick during a dog road show, and this was way back in September.  The owners rushed Ike to the vet, and he was diagnosed with the disease that has dog owners in a panic -- canine infectious respiratory disease complex.

Ike was taken to a vet hospital and quarantined. Dogs can quickly go from a cough to life-threatening pneumonia with this disease.

The dog was given a "last-resort antibiotic," called chloramphenicol, which fights bacterial infections. The family of the dog told ABC7, within hours his breathing was no longer labored.

The owner, Becky Oliver, said, "It's a very, very strong last-resort antibiotic, but it's what saved him. Otherwise, he would not be here."

So far, officials, officials have not commented on the efficacy of the antibiotic.

The disease has been spreading ... it's been found in California, Oregon, Indiana, Illinois, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and in various states around the Northeast.

Israeli-American rapper Kosha Dillz has urged those determined to take a public stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict to show empathy for those suffering -- namely, Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, and Muslims.

Kosha tells TMZ ... Susan Sarandon and "Scream" star Melissa Barrera losing Hollywood gigs as a consequence of speaking out about the turmoil is nothing compared to those directly affected by the war.

As we reported, Melissa joined Susan as the latest Hollywood casualty ... being 86'd from "Scream VII" after sharing controversial statements, including an IG Story where she seemingly alluded to a longstanding trope about Jews controlling the media.

As per the celeb examples ... Kosha adds: "It goes to show some of the people saying things don't have any skin in the conflict ... because they feel the need to say something, but they're not directly involved."

However, Kosha notes that society has made it acceptable for people to praise the terrorist organization Hamas as "freedom fighters," ... adding he was shocked at the opinions of those he interviewed at both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine rallies.

He met someone who was actually from Gaza ... praising him as the "kindest person" he had encountered.

"We need a voice for the voiceless ... but not all voices are for the voiceless," he says.

There's a mystery illness going around affecting dogs all over the country -- and it can turn deadly if owners aren't careful -- which is why one vet has a lot of good advice to offer.

Dr. Lindsey Ganzer -- a longtime vet and the CEO of North Springs Veterinary Referral Center in Colorado -- explained what people can do for their pooches as this inexplicable disease circulates throughout the U.S. and puts doggos under the weather.

The symptoms for this mystery affliction are similar to what humans might consider a common cold -- but in this case ... they tend to linger a lot longer, and in some rare cases -- have even led to doggy death.

Dr. Ganzer has a good explanation for what this new illness is and what it isn't -- notably, she says while it starts out by resembling kennel cough ... it can end up taking a slightly more sinister turn by plaguing canines with pneumonia, if it goes untreated.

President Biden's lighting up the Internet with his fiery birthday cake poking fun at his age -- but that won't get him over the electoral hump with the young'ns ... so says a seasoned journo.

Technology reporter Taylor Lorenz -- who covers all things digital for the Washington Post -- weighed in on Joe getting a little cheeky this week to celebrate his 81st birthday ... with a jokey post that ended up fueling endless memes online.

Everybody, it seems, made cracks ... some were light-hearted, others were a little more serious -- but according to Taylor, none of it really helps the Prez in the long run for 2024.

As she put it on Tuesday's "TMZ Live," Biden and his staff are missing the mark on how to connect with Gen Z -- mistakenly thinking that viral content and memes alone will be enough to get a full base of potential voters to pull the lever for him come next November.

Lorenz says that's not gonna do it, unfortunately -- and that Joe needs to connect with young people on a more fundamental, serious level ... through policy that helps their lives.

There are a number of issues she thinks JB's out of touch with when it comes to this specific demographic -- everything from the economy to housing and healthcare ... and even the war between Israel and Hamas. On that topic, too, she says Joe's not reflecting their view.

Of course, there are also the Biden stumbles and fumbles that happen all too often -- including recently mixing up Britney Spears and Taylor Swift -- that Lorenz says aren't serving him well.

Bottom line ... TL thinks Joe's gotta sharpen up and engage 20-somethings with substance, if he wants to rely on their support at the polls ... 'cause right now, the gimmicks aren't cutting it.

News flash ... lab-grown diamonds are REAL diamonds and there's really no difference between man-made rocks and their natural counterparts ... according to a famous jeweler.

Jean Dousset, a descendant of Cartier founder Louis Francois Cartier, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and schooled us on lab-grown diamonds ... explaining why they are indeed a diamond in every sense of the way.

JD says even the most seasoned gemologists cannot tell the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds ... and they're both graded on the same scales under the same rules and principles.

It's pretty interesting to consider ... seeing as there's controversy surrounding engagement rings these days. Based on what Jean's telling us here, it sounds like a man would be able to safely pass off a lab-grown diamond engagement ring as a natural one and the woman would never know.

Of course, Jean says most couples are shopping together for rings nowadays and he's not advocating for people to get engaged on a lie ... but the window of opportunity is definitely there.

Jean's got his own jewelry store in West Hollywood and this year he started selling only lab-grown diamonds. He's previously designed engagement rings for Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria and Amy Adams and says couples can get more bang for their buck with lab-grown diamonds.

Model Erica L. Carrington is getting a lot of heat for her runway walk at her designer pal's funeral, but says she doesn't regret doing it one bit ... claiming it's exactly what her late friend would've wanted.

Erica joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to talk about her moment at the "Red Carpet Viewing" of her friend and fashion designer, Vernest Moore -- revealing the entire weekend celebration was planned out ahead of time, with early talks coming from Vernest himself.

She says her decision to strut her stuff to his open casket is exactly how Vernest would've wanted to be sent off ... and she says those in attendance were on board with it too.

Erica says she still gets emotional thinking about the loss of Vernest, saying she was with him in some of his final moments, and admits her nerves got the best of her before making her mark at his viewing.

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JFK's assassination 60 years ago this month was not the work of a lone gunman, and Rob Reiner & Soledad O'Brien are naming names.

Rob and Soledad joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about their new podcast, "Who Killed JFK?," which debuted Wednesday. They present a compelling case -- Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone back on November 22, 1963.

The "All in the Family" star and mega-producer has been obsessed with the assassination since he was 16, when Kennedy was shot, and he's been doing deep research ever since. Rob previewed his theories with us, clearly suggesting there were rogue government officials who plotted to get JFK.

Soledad and Rob agreed ... much of the distrust Americans feel toward their government emanated from the Kennedy assassination.

There are CIA connections to the plot to kill Kennedy, and even President Lyndon B. Johnson -- who succeeded Kennedy -- had a significant role in the coverup, according to Rob.

The fascination with the assassination has hardly subsided ... there's even an auction going on to sell a portion of the infamous picket fence behind the grassy knoll.

Montana Tucker says she doesn't feel safe as a Jewish person in America ... and she fears the hate towards Jewish people online is part of a larger problem.

The singer joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and told us her popular TikTok posts are now cesspools for antisemitic comments ... and it's only getting worse.

Montana, who had family members die in the Holocaust, says people feel emboldened to spew hate against Jews ... not only on social media but also in real life.

For Montana, her singing and dancing content is now littered with hateful comments from antisemites telling her she deserves to die simply because she's Jewish ... and there are even a few Holocaust deniers.

Montana says the hate is really bad right now as a result of the Israel-Hamas war ... but she says it's been brewing for a while, first ratcheting up last year when she posted a docuseries about Auschwitz, where her family died in concentration camps.

Things are so bad for Jewish creators on TikTok, Montana tells us she and others don't feel safe ... and she's leading a group of celebs pressuring the platform to crack down on antisemitism.

Montana also says lots of people coming after her in the comments are supporting Hamas ... even though it's a terrorist organization known for its awful treatment of LGBTQ+ people and women.

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Matthew Perry wanted to leave a lasting legacy beyond his fame as Chandler Bing ... in the form of a foundation dedicated to helping folks suffering from substance abuse.

Sources close to the late actor tell TMZ ... in the months leading up to his death, Matthew was in the early stages of creating the foundation ... akin to what Betty Ford did with her Foundation near Palm Springs.

While Matthew died before he could turn his dream into reality, our sources say several people close to him want to pursue the foundation in his honor ... and they're planning to move forward and get it up and running.

Remember ... Matthew was open about his history with substance abuse -- it's a big topic in his book -- and by all accounts he was sober, using pickleball as an outlet to help with his recovery.

Matthew wanted his legacy to be helping people who are struggling with substance abuse, and not his starring role on "Friends." The foundation could have done the trick.

Morgan Fairchild is reflecting on her time working with Matthew Perry on the "Friends" set, where she played his character Chandler Bing's mother ... praising him as an "incredibly talented actor" who "always had stars in his eyes."

Morgan's the latest in a long list of industry figures who've had nothing but kind words for Matthew, and she joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to share her memories of his talent ... telling us he had a rare, impromptu ability to hilariously tweak lines for his character. BING-O!

It was clear her memories from the set of the hit NBC sitcom were overwhelmingly of the super-friendly actor bringing boundless energy to set -- all while sporting a big smile on his face.

Morgan added, Matthew was very professional and consistent with his joyful attitude on set, even during the times he was dealing with personal demons, such as his highly publicized battle with substance abuse.

Of course, with "Friends" having been such a monster hit for Matthew, the veteran actress was also sure to jog everyone's memory on his other acting credentials to showcase his talents.

She also praised him for baring his soul and helping others through his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir."

It certainly appeared as though Matthew had made another friend in Morgan.

As we first reported, the actor shockingly passed away Saturday just 2 hours after playing pickleball at Riviera Country Club near his home in Pacific Palisades.

Our sources have told us foul play is NOT suspected in Matthew's cause of death, and there were NO illicit drugs found at his home.

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The lucky winner and a guest will get a domestic round-trip flight to Los Angeles or San Bernardino -- hitching a ride in a limousine from the airport to the resort.

From there, you'll get to indulge in sweet accommodations in a 2-bedroom luxury suite and get a pair of tickets to the show of your choice at the Yaamava' Theater, a state-of-the-art intimate performance center that hosts the biggest names in music.

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