White House

President Joe Biden says he spoke "at length" with the mom and dad of Damar Hamlin ... after their son went into cardiac arrest on the field during Monday Night Football.

POTUS briefly spoke to the media in Kentucky before hopping aboard Air Force One ... when he revealed he had a conversation with the Hamlin fam.

46 was also asked whether football was just too dangerous ... in the wake of the terrifying medical emergency.

“Look, the idea that you're gonna have, look you've got guys that are 6'8", 340 pounds running a 4.8 40 ... If you hit somebody with that kinda ... now that's not what happened here ... but I just think it’s, I don't know how you avoid it,” Biden said.

Biden's comments come a day after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters ... “We hope his condition and his health improves quickly, and like the rest of the nation our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and his teammates.”

Of course, everyone from LeBron James to Tom Brady have sent well wishes to the 24-year-old second-year pro ... in addition to millions of fans across the world.

In the wake of the incident, hundreds of thousands of people even dipped into their own wallets, donating an astounding $6 million to Damar's charity toy drive.

Hamlin is still fighting for his life in a Cincy hospital, though the team provided a positive update on Wednesday.

"Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight."

"He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him."

President Biden might be feeling joke-y about a would-be reelection campaign -- but that's only because the decision has reportedly been made ... apparently, he's running again.

JB was down in the U.S. Virgin Islands Friday ahead of the new year, and when a crush of reporters peppered him with questions about officially throwing his hat in the ring for 2024 -- something he's said he intends to do, but noting he still needed to talk it over with family.

Those talks were supposed to happen around this time of the year, which is why his response down St. Croix is interesting ... Joe sure seems to be in good spirits about the prospect of gunning for POTUS again, so much so that he's oozing with sarcasm.

Check it out ... the Prez says he wasn't aware there's an election coming up, obviously kidding. His grin is pretty telling though -- because it's backed by what CNN's Kevin Liptak says is a firm yes from Joe's camp. Namely, Joe Biden is, in fact, going to enter the race.

We haven't seen any confirming reports mirroring what Liptak's saying here -- but if true, it's obviously huge. There's been rumblings within the Democratic Party that top dogs want Joe to bow out and let someone younger take a crack at a presidential campaign against Trump.

Joe's first two years in office have been somewhat of a mixed bag (some good and bad) but if he is actually joining the fray again, that means he's confident he's got a shot.

Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly held 4 meetings with members of President Joe Biden's cabinet in 2022 before his FTX empire collapsed, leading to his arrest on federal fraud charges.

The disgraced "Crypto King," who is at the center of one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history, sat down with senior White House advisor Steve Ricchetti on September 8, according to a new report by Bloomberg.

Sam allegedly had 2 follow-up meetings with Ricchetti on April 22 and May 12. He also reportedly met with Biden's deputy chief of staff, Bruce Reed. It's not clear what was discussed in any of the get-togethers.

As we reported ... Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on Dec. 12. He was federally charged in New York with eight counts of wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering and a campaign finance violation. He faces up to 115 years in prison if convicted.

The Bloomberg report is but another example of Bankman-Fried's deep ties with the Washington D.C. establishment before Sam was accused of stealing $1.8 billion from investors in his cryptocurrency scheme. And it's no secret that Sam has donated millions to the campaigns of prominent politicians, including Biden.

D.L. Hughley says Donald Trump should be criminally charged over the Jan. 6 riots ... and he wants the former president charged with the death of a Capitol Police officer.

We got the comedian at LAX and he told our photog ... Trump would be staring at a slew of charges if he were Black ... including manslaughter.

The way D.L. sees it ... Trump should be held responsible for the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died the day after being viciously attacked by the mob during the insurrection.

Trump has yet to be charged by the Justice Department. The Jan. 6 Committee voted to refer Trump for possible criminal charges ... so potential charges are on the table.

As we reported, the Jan. 6 panel feels four charges are warranted for Trump ... obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to make a false statement, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and insurrection.

Three busloads of undocumented immigrants were shipped to Vice President Kamala Harris' home in D.C. -- on Christmas Eve, no less ... courtesy, it seems, of Gov. Greg Abbott.

The startling scene unfolded late Saturday night, when a bus pulled up near the Veep's Naval Observatory residence in the dead of night ... and scores of people poured out in the freezing cold temperatures, which are said to have been in the teens.

A lot of them didn't have the proper attire for the weather, and they were quickly provided blankets and jackets by folks on the ground who scrambled to find them housing.

Before long, two more buses showed up ... and even more migrants were dropped off and left to fend for themselves. Good Samaritans are reported to have worked together to get as many as they could to local shelters and churches, at least for one evening anyway.

Many of the migrants are said to be asylum seekers from Ecuador, Nicaragua and other Central/South American countries, and they're all believed to have come from the TX border.

This marks the second time this year that Texas officials have transported folks like this across the country -- earlier this year, in a tag-team effort from Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis, even more migrants were bused to both the Veep's residence and Martha's Vineyard.

The move, which many view as a cruel political stunt from the GOP, is supposedly meant to be a message about the state of things at the border ... but to do something like this on Christmas Eve is another level of messed up.

President Biden was persistent in his pursuit of Jill Biden's hand in marriage -- a story he told Drew Barrymore in a pretty long, dramatic fashion ... with a great payoff at the end.

46 sat for an interview with the former child star, which aired this week ... just ahead of Christmas. One of the things DB wanted to get the scoop on was Joe's fabled repeated proposals to his now-wife -- which apparently took 5 times of asking before she said, "yes."

JB explains how difficult it was for him to start dating again in the wake of the tragic deaths of his first wife, Neilia, and their baby daughter, Naomi, following a car crash in '72.

He says he was eventually set up on a blind date with Jill, adding that he fell in love with her instantly -- knowing she was the next woman he wanted to marry. It took some convincing though, according to Joe ... and he has his sons to thank for the "yes."

The Prez says his boys, Beau and Hunter, both agreed that they could all marry Jill (as a family) and it sounds like Jill herself fell in love with Joe's kids as well ... which finally won her over. The final proposal sounds like a movie, BTW -- at least how POTUS describes it.

Take a listen -- he went from S. Africa to her doorstep in Philly ... and kinda gave her a love-it-or-leave-it ultimatum that she caved to ... somewhat underwhelmingly. "Okay." 😅

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky just shook hands with President Joe Biden at the White House, his first trip outside his war-torn country since Vladimir Putin's forces invaded.

Zelensky rolled up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in an SUV Wednesday afternoon, climbing out the passenger door and immediately greeting POTUS and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden before heading inside for a meeting.

Ukraine's president is in Washington D.C. because he's set to address a joint session of Congress later tonight, but first he's talking shop with Biden ... and seriously dressing down.

It's quite a contrast in fashion styles ... Biden is wearing a jacket and tie while Zelensky pulled up in his signature green pullover and some slacks.

Zelensky's addressed Congress before, but not in person. The first time came back in March, not long after the Russian invasion started, and he appeared remotely. This time he was invited to D.C. for an in-person visit by Nancy Pelosi.

Meanwhile, back in the Ukraine ... the war just crossed the 300-day milestone and the U.S. is sending more weapons to arm the Ukrainians, including artillery, missiles, grenade launchers, armored trucks and mortars.

Afroman is wading into the political fray for 2024 -- and not just for local office either ... the guy's going for the big enchilada to potentially become the next President of the United States!

The rapper made the big announcement this weekend at a concert of his in Poplar Bluff, MO ... where he told a packed house at the Black River Coliseum about his plan to run for POTUS, going up against the likes of Donald Trump and whoever else will be in the race.

When you see the video, it might seem like a joke, but we're told he's dead serious ... and the crowd loved it -- cheering Afroman on as he touted his first big policy -- the national legalization of weed. He reiterated this platform in yet another video, emphasizing this is no prank ... dude's got Oval Office aspirations.

Afroman's weed vision is cool and all, but not all that revolutionary these days. Frankly, the herb's already allowed recreationally in 21 states and medicinally in a lot of others.

It's still unclear where he lands on other domestic and international issues -- but we suppose we'll find out in due time. We're told he's running as an independent.

We don't see any record yet of Afroman filing paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission to make it official, but his camp says it's coming.

Of course, he wouldn't be the first MC to throw his hat in the ring -- Kanye West did in 2020, and seems primed to do it again in 2024 ... or as Afroman puts it, 20-20-FRO!!!

President Biden has signed a bill into law that works to permanently protect same-sex and interracial marriages -- although the Supreme Court still might have something to say about it.

Dubbed the "Respect for Marriage Act," the bill codifies protections for married couples of all races and sexual orientations and requires the federal government to recognize these marriages in all 50 states ... which, for now, is already the law of the land.

The bill was passed in the House with a vote of 258-169 and in the Senate ... 61-36. Some Republicans got onboard for the legislation -- but far from a majority in either house.

To celebrate the occasion, the White House hosted an event on the South Lawn with several guests and even some music acts to help ring in the moment. Sam Smith, who identifies as nonbinary, was one of those artists who performed ... singing their hit "Stay With Me."

Cyndi Lauper, who appeared during Tuesday's press briefing, also took the stage for her classic song, "True Colors." There were a couple other acts, including a gay choir. Senator Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi also delivered remarks, as did guest speakers.

During the signing ceremony, Biden called the move a huge deal for Americans everywhere, emphasizing the importance of being able to marry anyone you love, and the significance of having that right protected by law under the federal government.

The Respect for Marriage Act is meant to serve as a safeguard against possible reversals of key Supreme Court cases that weighed in on these issues in the past -- namely, 2015's Obergefell v. Hodges and, of course, 1967's Loving v. Virginia. The former promised gay couples the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples, and the latter did the same for interracial couples.

The bill was drafted shortly after SCOTUS' reversal of Roe v. Wade -- wiping away a federally-protected right to an abortion. There was then fear SCOTUS would go after Obergefell and Hodges too -- especially after Justice Clarence Thomas suggested cases like these needed another look as well in his controversial written opinion.

Joe Exotic feels he ought to be next in line after President Biden struck a deal with Russia to free WNBA star Brittney Griner, and he's stating his case for freedom ... from behind bars.

In audio obtained by TMZ ... The "Tiger King" star says, "The whole Brittney Griner and Trevor Reed prisoner swap is a slap in every American's face that is wrongfully detained in the American Federal Prison System, including myself."

He goes on to plead his case to the Prez, saying he's innocent of any crimes and calling out his ex-costar Carole Baskin in the process.

Quite frankly, Joe's drawing a ridiculous parallel here, between Brittney and himself. While she was imprisoned as Vladimir Putin's political pawn, Joe was tried and convicted for hiring a hitman, and various crimes tied to the treatment of animals at his infamous wildlife park.

After she spent nearly 10 months incarcerated, U.S. officials finally struck a deal this week -- Russia agreed to free Brittney in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout ... AKA the "Merchant of Death."

You'll recall, BG was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport, back in February, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Joe is serving a 21-year sentence, but insists he's innocent -- jury be damned -- and totally deserving of freedom ... something he's been pushing for since Donald Trump was in the White House.

Paul Whelan ain't happy that he's still behind bars in Russia ... saying Thursday he's "disappointed" with Joe Biden and his administration after he wasn't included in the Brittney Griner deal.

Whelan spoke with CNN from a penal colony in Russia just hours after the U.S. successfully swapped arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner ... and he expressed angst that he's still behind bars -- while the WNBA star is on her way home.

"I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four year anniversary of my arrest is coming up," said Whelan, who's been locked up in Russia on espionage charges since 2018.

"I was arrested for a crime that never occurred," he continued. "I don't understand why I'm still sitting here."

It should be noted, Whelan is obviously a prisoner ... and certainly could've been coerced into expressing disappointment in Biden.

The retired Marine did, according to CNN, say he was "very happy" for Griner ... but he noted the conditions he's in, and the way he's being treated by Russian authorities, couldn't be further from ideal.

"It's quite obvious that I'm being held hostage," he said.

Whelan added that he hoped the Biden administration "would do everything they could to get me home, regardless of the price they might have to pay at this point."

"My bags are packed," he said. "I'm ready to go home. I just need an airplane to come and get me."

Whelan is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence.

Biden said Thursday that Russia would not budge when the U.S. tried to include Whelan in the Griner swap ... but he insisted that he and his administration are doing everything in their power to get him back.

The stars were out and shining bright in D.C. this weekend ... this as President Biden bestowed lifetime awards on a handful of them who were honored at the White House.

George Clooney, Gladys Knight, Bono and the rest of U2 were on hand Sunday in our nation's capital to receive their Kennedy Center Honors for contributions to the arts over the course of their lives ... and they all dressed to impress for the swanky get-together.

Other honorees included composer Tania Leon and Christian singer Amy Grant -- they all lined up for tons of photos and took in the applause as JB sang their praises. At one point, he even singled out Gladys specifically and made a little pun about a classic tune of hers.

As for the rest of the bunch ... POTUS called them all "truly exceptional" during the reception -- noting Clooney's exceptional on-camera roles over the years, not to mention his philanthropy. And as for U2 ... well, let's just say Joe's a fan, going so far as to call them poets of our time.

BTW, it wasn't just these celebs who were in the house ... Julia Roberts was there, as was Don Cheadle, Richard Kind, Matt Damon, Sean Penn and others. So, yeah ... BIG turnout.

There's bits of video trickling out from the actual ceremony -- but the whole thing was properly recorded and is going to air in full later this month. It may even include performances from some of the musical acts ... time will tell.

Elon Musk is doing a new file dump that he says reflects Twitter's alleged efforts to suppress stories about Hunter Biden's laptop in 2020 ... causing a lot of outrage in right wing circles.

The Twit in Chief is set to follow up with another day of #TwitterFiles Saturday, which took the bird app by storm over the past 24 hours ... this after the initial batch detailed alleged correspondence between former Twitter staffers and execs, suggesting they were censoring negative HB news.

Specifically, the internal emails cited by journo Matt Taibbi show how Twitter's ex-head honchos apparently went out of their way to hide links to a story by the New York Post.

Published about a month before the election, it was touted as a bombshell report -- which purported to describe messages the NYP says it retrieved from Hunter's forsaken laptop ... and one of those seems to indicate Ukrainian gas bigwigs were trying to meet President Biden via his son, who was in business with these folks at the time (around 2015 or so).

When this went live in 2020, any attempts to tweet links to the story were barred en masse on Twitter ... and now, these #TwitterFiles pretty much seem to confirm it was, in fact, a coordinated effort in-house. The more troubling part, though ... some of the emails appear to imply that Twitter was actually in touch with Biden's campaign team ... and conceding to their requests to kill the story, as they claimed the information had been hacked/stolen.

Twitter obliged, citing its terms and conditions to justify the move -- not to mention the fact the info discussed hadn't been independently verified -- but since then ... a majority of the materials on the laptop were authenticated as legit. The laptop was also deemed abandoned property after somebody turned it into a shop in 2019 ... eventually finding its way into the hands of conservative operatives who ran with it and publicized its salacious contents.

In the end, however, the Hunter Biden chatter really amounted to nothing in the big picture.

There's been a lot of handwringing in and around the GOP over this for a full two years -- but now that these apparent revelations are coming to light ... many are calling for congressional hearings and investigations into what they characterize as corruption/election interference. Basically, their argument is ... Twitter blocked something that could've, perhaps, swung the election in Trump's favor -- and they're calling on POTUS to answer for it.

Hollywood is back at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., where President Biden's finally getting to entertain a foreign dignitary -- French President Emmanuel Macron -- as well as famous supporters.

Thursday night marks the return of swanky state dinners ... as the COVID pandemic forced Biden to cancel such events for the first 2 years of his administration, but the celebs are flocking back to the White House. No shocker.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are in the house, along with Stephen Colbert, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jennifer Garner and Ariana DeBose.

Apple CEO Tim Cook scored an invite too ... he's having a pretty loaded week, just yesterday he was meeting with Elon Musk at Apple HQ in Cali, smoothing things over with Twitter.

All the pomp and circumstance is for France ... Biden's working to repair the U.S. relationship with the European power.

These celebs are among 300 guests at the black-tie dinner, with folks dining on the best cheese America can offer Macron ... plus Maine lobster, beef with shallot marmalade and triple-cooked butter potatoes.

There's live music too ... Dr. Jill Biden booked Grammy-winning musician and composer Jon Batiste, in part because he's from New Orleans, which Jill notes "has been shaped by both French and American culture."

Joe Biden was so pumped America was able to pull out the win in the World Cup on Tuesday -- he straight-up led an old-fashioned "U-S-A!" chant at a political event!!

POTUS was out in Michigan while the must-win game against Iran was going down in Qatar ... and after the 1-0 contest ended, he grabbed the mic to gloat to the room.

Audio issues missed the first part of his impromptu winner's speech -- but it all clicked on just in time to hear him egg on a pro-U.S. shout.

"That's a big game man!" Biden said as the "U-S-A!" chants rang out in the room. "When I spoke to the coach and the players, I said, 'You can do this!' and they said, 'Ahh' -- they did it!"

"God love 'em!"

Back home in D.C., meanwhile, those still at the White House made sure they were showing love to the USMNT ... posting a "Go Team USA!" sign out in the yard.

As for the on-the-pitch action ... U.S. had to win the game over Iran in order to advance out of the group stage -- and after Christian Pulisic scored a goal late in the first half, they held on long enough to do just that.

Up next is the Netherlands on Saturday -- and the U.S. is already being billed as a HUGE  underdog in the game.

President Biden's recruiting the best for a huge honor -- Jon Batiste will perform at the administration's very first White House state Dinner.

The black-tie affair will go down Thursday ... and the night is all about putting a spotlight on the United States' tight relationship with France, as well as honoring French President Emmanuel Macron.

Sure, Batiste's name will make Macron feel at home ... but he's also the current holder of the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, so even more fitting he's being tapped for this gig.

Of course, performing at the WH is no small deed ... and Jon Batiste will be joining a special list of entertainers to do so.

Some past celebs to perform for the Prez include Whitney Houston, Elton John and Mary J. Blige ... just to name a few.

As for Jon, a spokesperson for the First Lady, whose office is overseeing the event, sang his praises, saying ... "An artist who transcends generations, Jon Batiste's music inspires and brings people together."

JB might not be a big Billboard hitmaker, but he's a decorated Jack of many trades -- recording artist, bandleader, film composer, museum creative director and scion of New Orleans musical royalty.

Oh yeah, and he took home 5 Grammys earlier this year alone, including that big one for his "We Are" album.