White House

President-elect Joe Biden might be missing out on the usual huge public gathering for his inauguration due to the pandemic ... but at least he'll be moving into nice, clean digs.

Although beefing up security and working to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved with Biden's swearing-in are the top priorities, the government's also spending some dough to tidy up ... according to federal financial docs.

We've learned The White House is dropping a little over $44,000 on what's listed as "Inauguration Carpet Cleaning." It's unclear how many rooms will have fresh carpeting ... the White House has 132 rooms.

So, if you're coming to pay POTUS a visit after January 20 ... you might need to take your shoes off.

As we've reported ... Biden's inauguration is getting scaled back because of COVID-19 concerns, with the ceremony having an "extremely limited" footprint and a "reimagined" parade.

President Trump's folding ... the guy finally put pen to paper on the latest COVID relief package that he shot down last week, which means some cash is one the way to Americans -- plus, a potential trade-off he insists is on the way too.

Trump signed the $900 billion-plus bill Sunday -- also helping fund the government and avoiding another shutdown -- which will get a second round of stimulus checks to adults who qualify ... namely, in the amount of $600 ... plus other assistance.

In a statement to his supporters, he says he's signing the legislation on the condition that Congress look into alleged voter fraud from the election, take up a new bill guaranteeing higher payments and revisit a provision about big tech (and who can sue them).

For now, though, this will have to do ... or so it seems.

The timing is odd ... if Trump was gonna sign anyway, why didn't he just do it Tuesday, when checks could've possibly gotten to folks before the New Year (and before their unemployment benefits lapsed, which happened this weekend because of his delay. Plus, rent is due)?

Remember, 45 made a big stink at the 11th hour ... indicating he'd veto the bill -- which members of his own administration helped negotiate -- because he felt the stimulus money was too low, not to mention the fact the bill was packed with tons of other spending that had nothing to do with COVID. Again, things his team negotiated.

DT demanded $2,000 for individuals and up to $4,000 for families -- something Dems actually praised and were willing to do STAT. Problem is, Trump was nowhere near on the same page as his Republican colleagues on that front ... and the messaging was all off.

Now, after leaving people wondering if they'd get any assistance before Joe Biden takes office ... he's put down his signature, on the basis of supposed promises which may not even come to pass, despite his assertions that it will.

Donald Trump has stunned everyone by blasting Congress for the relief bill they finally agreed on ... saying $600 checks are disgracefully low, and he wants a drastic reduction in the bill's extraneous spending.

This seemingly came out of nowhere. Trump was on the sidelines, silent as Congress negotiated the package. In fact, his aides said as late as Tuesday Trump would sign the bill.

Now, he wants $2,000 for individuals or $4,000 for a couple ... amounts that were never on the table. It took Congress months to reach an agreement, and if Trump is serious about vetoing the bill there's no way relief is coming to Americans until after January 20.

However, in announcing his contempt for the bill, Trump called out Congress for filling the COVID-relief package with billions in relief to foreign countries and domestic programs that have nothing to do with pandemic losses.

For instance, $134 million to Burma, $85.5 mil to Cambodia, $1.3 billion for Egypt, $2.5 mil to count amberjack fish in the Gulf of Mexico, $3 mil in poultry production technology, $566 mil for FBI construction projects and on and on and on.

Trump's point ... spend less on that stuff, and give more to American citizens, restaurants and other small businesses.

Dems jumped on this -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said they'll bring the $2,000 direct payments to the floor Thursday for a vote by unanimous consent.

Joe Exotic says he's been reassured his pardon request has finally made its way to President Trump -- and the only thing left to do now is ... wait, but Trump's clearly in the pardoning mood.

The "Tiger King" filed new court docs Tuesday, dismissing his own complaint that he filed just last week ... in which he asked the judge to force the White House Pardon Attorney to get his application in front of DT's eyes for a final decision.

The reason he's reversing course ... Joe says he's now under the belief his pardon petition has, in fact, been received by 45, and that's all he wanted. Now he's got a shot at Trump signing off ... so Joe says there's no longer a need to pursue the legal action.

For now, Joe's just waiting on Trump to let him know one way or the other if he's gonna spring him from prison. It's something he and his team have been waiting on and lobbying for, literally for months.

Remember, Trump DID tell reporters months ago he'd "take a look" at his case and decide if a pardon was warranted.

Marco Rubio did his part to show America the COVID vaccine is A-OK ... but how's the Senator from Florida so damn pale?!!

A self-deprecating Rubio said, "I know I looked away from the needle And yes, I know I need a tan But I am so confident that the #Covid19 vaccine is safe & effective that I decided to take it myself."

Members of Congress are among the first in line for the vaccine, given that they need to stay healthy to run the country, even though as a group they have failed miserably for months in coming up with a relief package for struggling Americans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell have also gotten the vaccine, as did Vice President Pence.

Joe Biden will get the vaccine next week and he will do so on camera. The idea is to show the country the leaders who are advocating vaccinations are walking the walk.

Pfizer says it's sitting on liquid gold -- a warehouse packed with the COVID-19 vaccine -- but it can't get word from the government on where to ship them.

The pharma giant made the shocking revelation in response to allegations it was having issues with production and distribution of its vaccine after successfully shipping the first batch out earlier this week. Nearly 3 million doses have already been sent out, but now Pfizer's pointing a finger at the federal government.

Pfizer says, "We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses."

Bizarre, right?

The news comes as Moderna is on the verge of getting the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization, which would put 2 COVID vaccines on the open market.

As if losing the election wasn't enough, folks can stick it to Donald Trump again by pushing the button to blow up one of his old casinos.

Here's the deal ... the former Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City is scheduled for demolition next month -- pretty close to when Trump leaves the White House -- and for the right price, someone gets to bring down the joint.

The auction is doubling as a fundraiser benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, and the mayor's hoping the big prize hauls in over $1 million.

Yeah, politicians think people hate Trump that much -- and there are roughly 80 million people who'd agree with that.

Trump's former casino opened its doors way back in 1984, when AC was actually popping, but it shuttered in 2014 and the property has descended into such a bad state that demolition work is already underway.

The rest of the crumbling structure will be demolished Jan. 29 -- 9 days after Trump's Presidential run comes to an end. Boy, January's gonna suck for him.

Atlantic City's got a love-hate relationship with Trump ... the mayor remembers some of the city's iconic moments happening at the Trump Plaza casino, including tons of big boxing matches, but he also didn't forget Trump mocking AC on his way out of town ... so the auction makes sense.

Joe Exotic's legal team is throwing a Hail Mary in hopes of getting his pardon request in front of Donald Trump before he leaves office -- and they want a judge to force the issue.

The 'Tiger King's' legal team just filed new docs asking a court to compel the Office of the Pardon Attorney -- the wing of the White House that vets pardon requests -- to get Joe's application on Trump's desk for a final decision, as they say only he can make it.

It's kinda technical, but long story short ... Joe's team says they initially filed for a pardon in early September, and also a waiver to be exempt from a rule that says you have to wait 5 years after being convicted before you can ask for a pardon.

Joe was convicted for the murder-to-hire plot against Carole Baskin in 2019 ... so he's very early in his ask.

Joe's lawyers claim that no more than a few days after Joe filed, the Pardon Attorney's office got back to him with a flat-out denial of his request to get that waiver. No explanation was provided, and the decision was final ... according to Joe's team.

They believe Joe's application never went through the normal screening process ... which would have POTUS weigh-in for a final decision, with the Pardon Attorney's recommendation attached for consideration.

In their docs, Joe's team cries foul ... claiming the Pardon Attorney overstepped their authority and tried sweeping Joe's application under the rug due to the 5-year rule. In the docs, the team doesn't explain under what grounds Joe should be exempt, but they want his app pushed through to the Oval.

Remember, Joe's team seemed confident earlier this year they'd be able to get Trump's say-so springing Joe from prison. They'd made a couple trips to D.C. and circled the White House in a huge tour bus.

Alas, sounds like that was all done in vain, because the paperwork never even got to Trump.

Of course, Trump is well aware of Joe Exotic -- since he mentioned him by name in a press conference once -- but it's kinda now or never.

Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony will be covered by a security company, that Uncle Sam is paying handsomely, to keep the President-elect safe -- and by the looks of everything they're equipped to do, he'll be in good hands.

TMZ obtained federal procurement docs that show the Secret Service has hired a company called Showcall Security Services to help out with the inauguration in January. The company scored a $7.5 million contract for the job ... and it sounds like they'll be worth every dime of taxpayer money.

Turns out, a division of Showcall, named Checkmate, is what'll be deployed here -- and a glance at their specialties shows why they cost a pretty penny. Checkmate boasts "temporary deployable security assets" that create "hardened perimeters," which can stop vehicle-borne threats and attempted weapons hand-offs of people who get past checkpoints

Checkmate also notes they design and provide "robust access control programs and cutting edge surveillance and threat detection systems" that use data analytics -- so top-notch stuff.

But, wait ... there's more.

Other services Checkmate offers for large-scale events include (but aren't limited to) ... anti-scale fencing, a mobile command post, all types of tactical barriers, golf carts and gators, light towers, traffic control, mobile power generation, tenting and perhaps most useful of all ... portable bathrooms!!!

Kamala Harris knows better than anyone the historic moment that's about to take place after she takes her oath of office -- not just for her, but also for her our nation's first Second Gentleman.

The VP-Elect talked about the emotions she's feeling as she becomes the first woman to hold the office ... and the word that seems to be ringing in her head is "responsibility."

Kamala told Robin Roberts on 'GMA' ... saying she'll be thinking about the responsibility that comes with the job, and also about her mother. She said, "I was raised by a mother who said that to me all the time. She said, ‘You may be the first to do many things, make sure you’re not the last.’ That’s how I feel about this moment."

President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration is getting scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic ... with safety protocols aiming to prevent a superspreader scenario.

Biden's own Presidential Inaugural Committee just announced some of the changes for January's ceremony, which will have an "extremely limited" footprint. The PIC also says the parade following the swearing-in will be "reimagined."

Some traditions are still soldiering on ... the PIC says Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take their oaths outside the Capitol.

The stage construction is chugging along, but most folks won't be there in person to soak in the historic ceremony when the stage is set ... Biden's PIC is urging the public not to travel to the National Mall for a huge gathering. Instead, folks are being encouraged to participate in inauguration activities from the comforts of their own homes.

So don't anticipate a gathering like the one we saw 4 years ago for Donald Trump ... and it definitely won't look like the first Barack Obama inauguration.

Joe Biden officially has big plans on Jan. 20, 2021 -- now that all 50 states have officially cast their Electoral College votes to make him the 46th President of the United States.

Electors cast their votes Monday across the country, confirming the winning total for President-elect Biden ... 306 for him, and 232 for now-outgoing President Trump.

Nevada -- one of the battleground states -- cast theirs first Monday morning, and all the other states followed shortly thereafter ... including Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona -- all states that Trump lost and has fought, unsuccessfully, to overturn the results in court.

Trump and his legal team filed several lawsuits all throughout the country, claiming election fraud, unfair vote counting and invalid ballots ... but failed to present any hard-hitting evidence. Pennsylvania was the one place they had a little bit of steam, but that was sucked away quickly when the Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

Of course, it's been a long and rancorous road getting here -- Trump has refused to formally concede ... and he's sent Rudy Giuliani to do a lot of his bidding on this issue, only to see him come up short and contract COVID in the process.

Trump has said, on camera, that if the Electoral College did its thing, he'd bow out. That might be true, but absolutely no one's expecting him to deliver a concession speech.

Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden, should stop insisting on people calling her "Dr." because her doctorate is meaningless ... so argues a writer, who's getting destroyed over his hot take.

Essayist Joseph Epstein penned a bizarre piece for the Wall Street Journal this weekend that's being called sexist, misogynistic, belittling ... and every other name in the book -- and rightly so, because he publicly asks the future First Lady to "drop the doc."

The op-ed is titled "Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D." -- and his opening graph is a doozy (in a bad way). Epstein writes, "Madame First Lady -- Mrs. Biden -- Jill -- kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter. Any chance you might drop the “Dr.” before your name?"

He goes on ... "'Dr. Jill Biden' sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic. Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title 'Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs.'"

Then the proverbial dagger ... "A wise man once said that no one should call himself 'Dr.' unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc."

Epstein goes on to lay out a theory that folks who get their PhDs and other doctoral degrees in the humanities or social sciences -- and then tack on the "Dr." before their names in correspondence thereafter -- are considered "bush league" in contemporary university circles ... at least from what he's heard.

Not only that, but JE says getting a doctorate degree these days just isn't as hard as it once was -- and, therefore, isn't nearly as prestigious, despite still being hailed as a high achievement. To him, it's pretty darn easy, especially if it's outside the science realm.

He ends his diatribe by saying, "As for your Ed.D., Madame First Lady, hard-earned though it may have been, please consider stowing it, at least in public, at least for now. Forget the small thrill of being Dr. Jill, and settle for the larger thrill of living for the next four years in the best public housing in the world as First Lady Jill Biden."

Sarah Paulson and Beanie Feldstein appeared on set for the first time as Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky, and all that's left to say is ... bravo.

Sarah and Beanie unveiled their transformations Thursday in L.A. ... as the stars of "Impeachment: American Crime Story." The resemblances are uncanny -- even with masks -- making season 3 of the franchise that much more must-see viewing.

For the babies who don't know ... Tripp betrayed Monica's confidence by secretly recording her phone calls as Lewinsky unloaded on her long-running affair in 1998 with Bill Clinton ... an affair that began when she delivered a pizza to the Prez when she was a W.H. intern.

Tripp, who died in April, or we should say her recordings, played a pivotal role in the impeachment of Clinton.

Killer Mike says playing identity politics won't pay off for Democrats and Kamala Harris -- instead, he says she'll have to lean into the progressive movement if she wants the presidency.

We spoke with the rapper and activist Wednesday on "TMZ Live" about the upcoming run-off elections in Georgia that will determine who controls the Senate during Biden's term -- but also about the widely held belief the VP-elect will run for Prez in 2024.

Mike says Dems would be wise to stop worrying about how to frame Harris as a candidate 4 years from now, and focus on the present. He also feels it's clear a progressive agenda -- as championed by his fave candidate, Bernie Sanders -- is actually needed and more widely supported than Dems think.

He tells us the Pineapple Saloon & Grill owner in L.A., whose plea for help went viral, is the epitome of that -- and says he's looking to make things more equal for all.

Speaking of that, Mike also tells us the pandemic has crystallized the need for healthcare-for-all, and Andrew Yang's universal basic income concept.

The Run the Jewels rapper stresses that it's time for Democrats, in general, and Kamala specifically to step up for the Black community on a number of issues -- because that's how she can secure that support when she runs for the top job.

Gayle King says the fact our top former leaders in the U.S. are willing to get a COVID-19 vaccination -- with the world watching -- should be all the proof people need to feel reassured.

We got the CBS News anchor leaving the studio Tuesday in NYC, where we asked what she made of the fact that the 3 most recent former Presidents (plus soon-to-be-former Prez Trump) have said they're willing to get a COVID vaccine live on camera.

She says she's all for it -- anything that gets people to trust the vaccine, in her mind, is a good thing ... and what better way to convince folks than to get a bunch of Commanders in Chief to partake?

We asked if Gayle would be open to having one administered to herself on her own show, and if she'd be courageous enough to take a gamble. The veteran interviewer flipped it on our guy, and asked an even more poignant question ... about bravery and the COVID-19 vaccines. Well played, GK!