Drug Pumpkins 44 lbs. of Meth Stashed at Border ... Happy Halloween??

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These are NOT Charlie Brown's "Great Pumpkins" -- Customs agents uncovered a huge amount of meth tucked inside a bundle of everyone's fave Halloween gourds.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed their big find in a statement Wednesday ... noting its officers have seen "just about everything and this Tuesday was no exception" -- saying they discovered more than $402K in liquid methamphetamine inside the pumpkins.

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EXTRA SPICY PUMPKINS

The 4 winter squashes, found at Eagle Pass Port of Entry in Texas, held a total of 44 pounds of the drug which was packed into 136 different condoms.

The officers seized the meth and the car that was carrying the pumpkins ... and the driver was turned over to Maverick County Sherriff's Office for further investigation.

Carve carefully out there!! Not all jack-o-lanterns are created equally.

American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing ... Something's Stinkin' Up the Cabin!!!

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Everyone onboard an American Airlines flight smelled it -- that much we know -- but the problem is they had no clue who or what dealt it, so the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.

The Wednesday night flight from Miami to Barbados was inundated by the pungent chemical odor -- and because the crew believed it was coming from a passenger's carry-on bag, you can imagine the panic that caused.

The pilot made the quick decision to head back to the MIA.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units met the plane once it landed, and all 172 passengers were quickly evacuated as firefighters investigated.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the smell was coming from a large, industrial-strength bottle of nail polish -- it somehow made it through TSA and spilled in the passenger's bag. We're told the woman isn't in any trouble.

The airline reported some of the crew members on board were feeling sick from the odor ... and went to a hospital out of extreme caution.

Ohio Fishermen Scales of Justice Come Down on Alleged Crooked Anglers ... Indicted On Multiple Felonies

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The 2 men who seemingly won a fishing contest by stuffing their catch with weights encased in fish filets have been hooked by a grand jury, that just nailed them with multiple felonies.

Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominski were just indicted for attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools ... both felonies. They've also been charged with the misdemeanor of unlawfully owning wild animals.

It's a crazy story ... the 2 guys were in a competition on Lake Erie at the Walleye Trail tourney when they allegedly hooked what seemed to be 2, 7-pound walleyes. Apparently, some of the honchos were suspicious, cut the fish open and found the weights and filets. The fish actually weighed around 4-5 lbs.

Had they been declared the winners, they would have pocketed $28,760.

These guys have been under suspicion for cheating in other tournaments. They were investigated by cops for similar types of cheating, but there wasn't enough evidence to charge them.

So far, they haven't publicly responded to the indictment.

13-Year-Old Track Star Torches Johnny Knoxville In Race ... I Want A Rematch!!!

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ABSOLUTELY SMOKED

Johnny Knoxville was left looking like a real jackass for challenging a track phenom to a race ... because when they finally met up for an epic showdown -- he was left eating her dust!!

Here's the deal -- the stunt legend has been playfully trolling 13-year-old Junior Olympian Jaiya Patillo for months ... demanding a one-on-one battle to prove he can take her on in a 200-meter dash.

Well, that day finally came ... and let's just say Knox has to be wishing it didn't.

Give credit to Johnny for posting footage of the race to his 4 million Instagram followers ... 'cause he couldn't even last a second before he fell far behind, even though he brought his own cheerleaders for the event.

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FYI -- Patillo is the top-ranked sprinter in her grade ... and has come in first at the AAU Junior Olympics and USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in the past. She's also gone viral on social media multiple times for showing off her insane speed.

According to her website, Jaiya's fastest 200-meter time is 25.48 seconds ... so, yeah, Johnny never stood a chance.

Knoxville was a great sport about it all ... but said he likes his chances at a second go 'round.

"And just because you NARROWLY beat me this time Jaiya it doesn’t mean there can’t be a rematch!!" Knoxville said.

Riiiiiiiiight.

WENDY'S Hometown Key for Worker With Down Syndrome ... Retirement Bash Planned!!!

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The longtime Wendy's employee with Down Syndrome -- who was recently fired -- is now getting a happy ending, complete with a huge party and a major key.

Here's the deal ... Dennis Peek was unceremoniously canned a few days back after working at a Wendy's in Stanley, North Carolina for 20 years. The news was particularly devastating for Dennis' family -- his sister and guardian, Cona Young Turner -- tells TMZ ... Dennis doesn't know he was terminated, and instead thinks he's retiring.

The family is being super sensitive about the situation, but we've learned the city of Stanley is kicking in to give him a proper retirement send-off. Cona says during the party, Dennis will be presented with a key to the city and a commemorative plaque.

She says the Carolina Restaurant Group -- which operates the Wendy's where Dennis worked -- offered Dennis his job back and the family at first agreed, but she says the family ultimately decided against it.

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We're told Dennis previously mentioned to his family he wanted to retire ... so his sister thinks it's best for him to move on from Wendy's.

Cona says Wendy's offered to cover costs for the retirement party, but as of now the city will foot the bill ... and folks in town are chipping in too.

The retirement bash is set for Nov. 5, and the family's also asking people to send Dennis "Happy Retirement" cards.

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While Cona was initially looking into filing a wrongful termination lawsuit of a special needs worker, she tells us ... the family will NOT pursue legal action.

Enjoy retired life, Dennis!!!

Kushstock Festival Rapper Blasts Weed Smoke Into Crowd ... Take That, Fog Machine!!!

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The crowd at Kushstock did exactly what they wanted to do -- get super stoned -- because one of the acts swapped out a simple fog machine for weed smoke that got blasted into the audience!!!

Rapper Chucky Chuck gave his fans an experience they'll never forget, though the memory might be a little foggy ... posting the vid from this weekend's festival in Adelanto, CA with a caption that says, "F*** a fog machine."

The artist says he worked with 2 custom cannabis creation companies to make the impossible possible -- building what looks like a leaf blower attached to a big pipe -- with a bunch of weed inside, of course.

It looks like the audience was loving -- and inhaling -- every second of it ... it's called Kushstock for a reason, people.

Good vibes by all ... profits at the food tents must've gone sky-high after this one!!!

Madonna I'm Gay(?) ... Seemingly Comes Out

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Madonna appears to have declared herself as gay ... we think?

Madge threw up a TikTok Sunday that's got the world wondering ... a video that shows her throwing some panties at a trash can with the caption "If I miss, I'm Gay!" She falls short of hitting the bin ... and the camera cuts back to Madonna, who shrugs and walks away.

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Pretty big news ... assuming she's actually making some here. On the face of it, it looks like she might be coming out as lesbian -- or at the very least, bi -- but it's hard to say for sure.

Madge has signaled she may be into women ... not just with public comments, but with her actions too. She's locked lips with a few notable ladies over the course of her career -- including Nicki Minaj, but more memorably ... Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

It was a highlight during the 2003 VMAs ... when she famously kissed both Britney and Christina onstage -- which she later explained as passing the Queen of Pop torch. Madonna kissed Britney again this year during her wedding, recreating the moment.

Of course, Madonna has only been in relationships with men ... as far as we know, anyway. She's been romantically linked to a ton of celebs over the years -- including Dennis Rodman, Tupac, Michael Jackson, Vanilla Ice and others.

She was also married to Sean Penn, plus Guy Ritchie ... with whom she had a kid. She's had children with other not-so-famous men too ... and has also adopted along the way.

Lately, she's been dating younger gents ... but we've never seen her confirm a relationship with a woman. That might all change now, though.

Comedian Ariel Elias Heckler Throws Beer ... She Chugs It!!!

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A comedian who was in the middle of performing in New Jersey was met with a handsy heckler -- who kept his hands to himself ... but let his beer fly in her direction.

Ariel Elias was recently doing a set at Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club Point Pleasant Beach -- and while she was in the middle of a bit ... a woman from the crowd interrupted her to start talking politics ... specifically, musing on who she voted for and landing on Joe Biden.

Things were definitely tense, but Ariel kept her cool and rolled with the punches ... shutting the lady down by clowning her -- which somebody else nearby didn't take very well.

Unclear who exactly did this ... but someone straight up threw a semi-full beer can up onstage and in Ariel's direction -- which only barely missed her head ... splattering against the wall and hitting the ground. She was shocked, as was just about everyone else.

You can hear what sounds like a man saying he's never coming back again, and what seems like a staffer telling him he can't do that. Then, Ariel picks up the beer ... and pounds it!!!

There's more to the story ... whoever threw that beer is apparently going to pay for it, because Ariel says the club is pressing charges against him. Unclear if cops were called that night and if he was arrested, but it appears Uncle Vinnie's isn't letting this one go.

As you can imagine, AE is getting a lot of kudos from those in the comedy world for how she handled this. Not only did she turn a crazy situation on its head, but she did it with so much humor ... even in the face of violence.

Well done!

Plano, TX Hooters Attacked by Youths in Crazy Assault ... Supposedly Over Chocolate

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UPDATE

1:17 PM PT -- Plano PD tells TMZ ... witnesses say this group of guys was selling chocolate in the Hooters parking lot, and when they were approached by a manager and asked to leave -- things allegedly got violent. We're told a couple of them attacked the manager and left with him a broken arm, and at that point ... things spilled inside, where a customer was hurt too.

UPDATE

PPD says they're investigating this as an aggravated assault case ... but so far, no arrests have been made. They'll be looking at this video as part of the evidence.

A Hooters in Texas came under intense assault this week -- with a group of youths going crazy on the establishment and their customers ... supposedly, because of some candy.

Video from the altercation first surfaced on Thursday -- when the incident appears to have happened -- but started making the rounds this weekend ... and the footage is absolutely wild. You see a bunch of young guys, some of whom are shirtless, losing their minds.

They're beating up what appear to be patrons in the vestibule of the restaurant ... wailing on one guy in particular who falls to his knees. Some of the employees -- including at least one Hooters girl -- also seem to get roped into the action ... with complete chaos unfolding.

One person filming says something to the effect of ... "all over chocolate," and you even see a chocolate bar on the ground at one point. Welp, as it turns out -- that's exactly what allegedly sparked this whole thing ... according to a Hooters manager who spoke to TMZ.

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ANOTHER ANGLE OF CHAOS

We're told these guys are door-to-door salesmen and that they came around that night trying to hawk their goods, only to be turned away over a no-soliciting policy Hooters has -- which is apparently what set them off.

There weren't more details provided, but the Hooters manager says they've resumed business and that a criminal investigation is ongoing.

We've reached out to the local authorities, including Plano PD, to see if anything further came from this ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 12:53 PM PT

Michael J. Fox at NYCC Wait a Minute, Doc ... Give Me a Hug Man!!!

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Marty McFly and Doc Brown are tearing up the space-time continuum again -- and it's just as emotional as ever ... especially all these years later.

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd reunited Saturday in the Big Apple during a 'Back to the Future' panel at New York Comic Con ... and when the two former costars met onstage, they greeted each other with a big hug, which got thunderous applause from the fans.

Check out the clip ... you see MJF out there by himself at first, taking a seat on the couch then he pops back up when Chris walks out, and wraps him up with open arms.

It's a super cool moment, and you can tell it meant a lot to both of them -- especially by the way Mike went in for the embrace. Afterward, they sat down and chopped it up ... reportedly going on to tell old stories about the trilogy, but particularly about Pt. 1 (the classic).

Michael reportedly said at one point ... "You guys have given me my whole life," adding a poignant nugget about his Parkinson's. Mike said, "The best thing that happened in my life was this thing. Parkinson's is a gift. I've said to people it's a gift and they say, 'You're nuts.' I say, 'Yeah, but it's the gift that keeps on taking.' But it's a gift and I wouldn't change it for anything ... It's not about what I have, it's about what I've been given."

BTW, there's a 'BTTF' musical that's coming to Broadway next year. Word is ... it's great.

Wendy's Worker with Down Syndrome Fired Because He Wasn't 'Normal' ... Sister Claims

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The sister of the longtime Wendy's employee with Down Syndrome who was recently unceremoniously canned is lashing out at the franchise.

Dennis Peek worked at a Wendy's in Stanley, North Carolina for 20 years, was fired without notice a few days back, and now his sister claims managers at the fast food joint told her Dennis couldn't do his job like a "normal" person.

Dennis's sister, Cona Young Turner, wrote on Facebook, "I am heart broken to say they have fired him ... They told me was unable to perform the duties of a normal persons job."

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She went on ... "His dream was to retire from there some day and he was looking forward to a huge retirement party, we may just give him that party and tell him he has retired because he does not understand being fired."

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She now says Wendy's has offered Dennis his job back, but he's not biting. She also says she's looking into filing a wrongful termination lawsuit of a special needs worker.

Cona says Dennis was deeply hurt by the firing, but she's gonna throw him a big retirement bash.

We reached out to Wendy's ... The Carolina Restaurant Group tells TMZ, "We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our employees and customers. This was a very unfortunate mistake and lapse in protocol; we value Dennis, have been in touch with his family, and we are looking forward to either welcoming him back to work in the restaurant or to celebrating him in a big way should he choose to retire. Should Dennis retire and ever want to work again, we’ll also be happy to welcome him back."

T.J. Miller So Yeah, Ryan Reynolds Hates Me ... The Feeling's Mutual!!!

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Ryan Reynolds despises his one-time costar T.J. Miller -- at least according to T.J. Miller ... who's kinda giving the guy even more cause to not like him after these spicy remarks.

The ex-'Deadpool' star sat down for a chat on 'The Adam Carolla Show' -- where he revealed part of the reason why he believes he might not be in the forthcoming second sequel (aka, 'Deadpool 3') and, in his eyes, it all has to do with RR hating his guts for some reason.

He recounted a story in which he claims Ryan berated him during the filming of a scene in one of the first 2 films. He says Ryan, playing Wade/Deadpool, improvised some super mean lines while addressing him in character as Weasel ... but TJM thinks he was actually just operating under the guise of acting to take some pot shots at him personally.

Miller says Ryan, as Deadpool, told him/Weasel that no one really liked him and that he wasn't funny ... and that he only served as temporary comedic relief that nobody (including the audience) cared about ... basically calling him unnecessary for 'Deadpool' at large.

It was a pretty awkward exchange, so says T.J. -- who claims the crew was just as stunned by the on-set teardown which felt very real. Since then, he says, his relationship with Ryan has soured -- and, obviously, it has with the studio since he isn't going to be in 'DP3.'

But the way T.J. frames it here ... he makes it seem like he's the one who wants nothing to do with Ryan -- saying he wouldn't work with him ever again, going on to openly wonder why he dislikes him so much ... and going further by suggesting RR was jealous/insecure.

T.J. has a lot to say about what he perceives as flaws in Ryan's character ... especially as he got incredibly more famous with the Deadpool gig. He even makes some observations about Blake Lively and their image -- or "brand," as he and his pals call it -- as a couple.

It should be noted ... right as 'Deadpool 2' was coming out, Miller was dealing with very serious sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied. Still, you gotta imagine that may have played a part in either Ry and/or studio heads weighing his future involvement.

While T.J. is obviously out of the franchise ... a new face is being brought in with a lot fanfare. Hugh Jackman, of all people, is reprising his role as Wolverine -- which we're sure will satisfy fans in the wake of Weasel's absence. No love lost here, it seems. 🤷🏽‍♂️

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten Reveals How Teen Daughter Died ... Heart Stopped Suddenly

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Rep. Sean Casten is revealing how his daughter died unexpectedly earlier this summer -- saying her heart simply gave out ... without any explanation whatsoever.

The U.S. congressman from Illinois broke the sad news Friday -- elaborating on his earth-shattering post from June ... when he told the world his 17-year-old, Gwen, had passed away suddenly. At the time, he didn't share any details ... but now, he's shedding some light.

Casten says Gwen died of a cardiac arrhythmia -- adding, "[S]he was fine, and then her heart stopped. We don't know what caused the arrhythmia, and likely never will."

The Representative says his daughter was a healthy teen who got regular checkups, exercised, ate well, didn't suffer from any behavioral health issues and had strong relationships with her friends and family. He notes ... she was also fully vaccinated.

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Casten says Gwen came home one night after a night out with friends, and didn't wake up the next morning -- something doctors haven't been able to make sense of ... and ditto for the family. He says they're completely heartbroken and devastated -- exacerbated by such a freak thing with no real rational reason behind it. This is rare, he says, but it happens.

He ends his thoughts with a poignant remark ... "None of us know when our last heartbeat will come. The best we can hope for is when our loved ones do pass, we will have no regrets about the time we were lucky enough to share."

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Casten finishes with this -- "So hug the folks you love a little harder today. Be present in their lives. And spread your love a little farther. Because in the end, it's all that matters."

RIP

'Stranger Things' H'ween Display Goin' Back Up After Brief Shutdown ... Neighbor Can't Keep Max Down!!!

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The "Stranger Things" themed Halloween display taking the Internet by storm ... is also drawing too much attention for one neighbor -- that got it all shut down, but now the homeowners are striking back to turn it on again.

Aubrey Appel tells TMZ ... she and her husband, Dave, turned the lights off on their display Sunday, and took down the levitating Max figure after a neighbor called the police. However, no official complaint was filed.

For those unaware, the insane display in Plainfield, Illinois is highlighted by Max Mayfield from the Netflix series seemingly floating in midair ... a reference to the latest season of the show.

Their setup's gone viral during this Halloween season, apparently too viral for some! Aubrey says the neighbor in question called cops after someone pulled into their driveway and walked on their lawn to check out the Appels' home.

Aubrey and Dave tell us they had reached out to all their neighbors before putting up the 'ST' homage and had the neighborhoods' full support. After the one neighbor's complaint, they were planning on taking everything down this week -- but had a change of heart due to the overwhelming amount of support they were getting.

Dave met with City Manager James Capparelli Wednesday and was told they were doing nothing wrong and had nothing but support for their home haunt.

Moving forward, they'll only be in full operation on weekend nights ... people can still take a look during the day if they want, but the lights will be off. Max will be "levitating" as long as winds are below 10 MPH, otherwise she'll be at her stepbrother Billy's gravesite.

So, 'Stranger' fans can officially go runnin' up that hill again to check it out -- just stay off the neighbors' lawns!

President Biden Tells Fort Myers Beach Mayor ... 'No One F***s with a Biden!!!'

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President Biden had another one of those moments, where he became so engrossed in a convo he forgot there was a hot mic ... and it was something!

The Prez was in Florida to survey the damage from Hurricane Ian, and had just held a joint news conference with FL Governor Ron DeSantis. He was talking to Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy. It's unclear what the 2 were chatting about, but at one point the President blurts out, "No one f***s with a Biden." The Mayor responds, "You're goddamn right!"

Biden then says, "You can't argue with your brother outside the house." The Mayor says, "That's exactly right."

It seems -- SEEMS -- they may be talking about the fact Biden and DeSantis -- who could end up going head-to-head in 2024 -- shared the stage and came together to deal with the disaster, but we don't know.

It's reminiscent of Biden's famous f-bomb that he dropped when he was Veep, turning to Barack Obama near a hot mic after their health care reform victory, saying, "This is a big f***ing deal!"

At any rate, it's good to see opponents coming together -- at least for a time -- for an important purpose.

Mike Tyson Posts Throwback Sparring Video ... Fans Think It's New

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TIME TRAVEL TRAINING

Mike Tyson accidentally duped fans with an intense sparring video he just posted on social media ... because while a ton of people assumed the clip was recent -- it's actually a few years old.

Iron Mike shared the workout footage earlier Tuesday morning ... captioning the post, "Roll with the punches."

56-year-old Mike looks incredible in the video ... so we had to reach out to his camp to find out if he was training for any particular reason.

The vid had people excited -- as a potential event could have been on the horizon.

As it turns out, we're told the vid is a throwback from before his fight against Roy Jones Jr. ... and Mike just wanted to share the moment with his 19.4 million followers.

As we previously reported, Mike recently dealt with a sciatica flare-up ... which forced him to use a cane and wheelchair.

But, don't give up hope just yet ... 'cause you never know in the fight game. After all, Tyson's just two years removed from the Jones fight.

Bottom line -- Iron Mike is a beast.