You Might Want to Rethink

An SUV in California is rolling around with "ASN FLU" license plates, and people are enraged ... especially with Asian hate crimes on the rise amid the pandemic.

The SUV also sports a Trump 2020 sticker on the window.

Though the plates seem very 2020 -- given Trump's not-so-subtle attack on Asians by calling COVID "Kung Flu," among other things -- the California DMV says these plates were actually issued in 2006.

It's unclear why the owner wanted these plates or why the DMV approved them, because the application is no longer available. The agency also has no legal ground to revoke the plates, and the owner of the vehicle reportedly is not in any trouble.

The Rock may be blowing smoke about running for President in 2024, but it's looking increasingly like he's serious.

A poll shows 46% of the people surveyed felt he'd be a good enough Prez to gain their support. And, check out our own TMZ poll today ... very similar.

He said, "I don't think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club -- but if it ever happens it'd be my honor to serve you, the people."

It's unreal how Americans assume an entertainer they like could pivot to the White House, but that's clearly the case. At a point there's going to be a disclaimer for candidates ... NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.

Whitney Buha's recent cosmetic procedure was an eyebrow-raising failure, but she's not scared to try again ... because she says the pros of youthfulness outweigh the cons.

The life and style blogger from Chicago's still dealing with the effects of botched Botox injections from a month ago, which resulted in a droopy left eye and a wide-open right peeper.

ICYMI ... Whitney details in the vid what went down, and how the Botox clinic made her appearance far worse than before she came in.

Buha says on top of everything else ... she suffers from dryness in her right eye because it's open wider to compensate for her left eye, blurred vision and headaches.

The good news -- as you can see -- her eyes are returning to normal, and she says doctors have assured her this is all just temporary. Still, it's a pretty scary experience, so it begs the question ... will Whitney get Botox again???

She tells us it's very likely she will and offers a sensible explanation. One thing's for certain ... she won't be going back to the same clinic.

Whitney also says offers have been rolling in for free Botox from all over the country in wake of her ordeal.

Elon Musk's monkey officially has the power of mind control ... but so far, it's only using it to play outdated video games.

Still, it's a remarkable feat from Neuralink -- the company Musk founded that's developing implantable, artificial-intelligence-powered microchips to go in people's brains.

The company shared apparent proof of its neural tech in action -- video of Pager the macaque using his brain to play "Pong." Elon recently claimed the Neuralink chips had enabled a monkey to play video games with its mind, but this is the first time we're seeing it ... and it's pretty incredible.

According to the company ... 9-year-old Pager had a Neuralink placed in each side of his brain about 6 weeks ago. He's learned to interact with the computer by being enticed with a banana smoothie that gets delivered through a straw.

When Pager moves the joystick correctly, he gets some smoothie, and all the while ... the Neuralink chips are recording his brain activity for analysis of what his brain does when he moves his hand.

Then, the joystick's unplugged ... and the monkey's technically controlling the game with his mind, even though he's still moving the joystick out of habit.

Neuralink says its goal is to enable a person with paralysis to use a computer or phone with their brain activity alone. As you can see, Pager eventually stops using the joystick ... and he's a pro at "Pong" with no hands.

Get Kevin Holland a new nickname ... 'cause "Big Mouth" won't be running when he fights Saturday night, telling TMZ Sports his sole focus is whooping Marvin Vettori's ass.

28-year-old Holland received an onslaught of criticism -- from fans to Dana White -- for the nonstop crap talk during his unanimous decision loss to Derek Brunson only 19 days ago.

Holland's stepping up on short notice to fight Vettori -- the 27-year old, 6th-ranked UFC middleweight -- and we asked if he was gonna press pause on the trash talk.

"Yeah, I mean ultimately, I go in there and get the job done and then we'll see what happens after that, but it's like a whole lot of talking that night, I don't see that happening. Go in there, get the job done and then we can talk about it after."

It's an interesting dilemma ... MMA fans loved Holland's brashness when he was winning (he fought and won 5 times in 2020!!) -- but turned on him when he talked and lost.

So, moral of the story for Kevin? Win. This. Fight.

"I just got a job to do. The job is to put Vettori away in a nice fashion."

As for any bad blood with White ... Holland says everything's cool with the UFC honcho.

Geraldo Rivera has seriously pissed off his fellow Fox News pundit Leo Terrell by challenging his cred in the Black community -- and they just went HAM on each other!!!

Geraldo and Leo were on Bill Hemmer's "America's Newsroom" Thursday to talk about race and policing, particularly in St. Louis. That city's Mayor-Elect Tishaura Jones -- a Black woman -- questioned the "lived experience" of white allies in leading a population that is nearly 50 percent Black.

That remark got Leo all hot and bothered, and as he started going off on Mayor-Elect Jones ... Geraldo jumped in with, "Hey, Leo! When was the last time you were in the ghetto?"

Explosion in 3, 2 ...

Leo -- a famed civil rights attorney for several decades -- damn near jumped through the TV screen in his rage at Geraldo. Both men exchanged inner-city resumes, barking out their hometowns. FYI, Leo's reppin' the West coast, and Geraldo the East.

You gotta see the fireworks. Far as we can tell, the only real winner is Fox News' ratings. We doubt Geraldo and Leo will be breaking bread anytime soon.

The prosecution in the Derek Chauvin murder trial is trying to poke major holes in his defense ... with a doctor's powerful testimony that any healthy person would have died if treated like George Floyd.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician specializing in pulmonology and critical care, took the stand Thursday and ripped into the heart of Chauvin's defense -- that Floyd allegedly died from a drug overdose and not by Chauvin's knee on his neck.

The doc goes into pretty deep detail on why, in his expert opinion, a healthy person would not have been able to survive a knee to the neck for 9 1/2 minutes.

Dr. Tobin testified that, by his calculations, Floyd lost all of the oxygen in his body about 3 minutes BEFORE Chauvin lifted his knee off George's neck. Tobin's being called the prosecution's star witness, as his testimony's been one of the most powerful moments in the courtroom, so far.

The doc went on to say George died from a low level of oxygen causing his heart to stop, essentially attributing his death to him being handcuffed face down on the pavement with Chauvin's knee pinned to his neck.

Remember ... Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson told the jury last week Floyd "put drugs in his mouth" when confronted by cops and said the autopsy found meth and fentanyl in his system.

But, Dr. Tobin's testimony is clearly the prosecution's attempt to blunt that OD theory.

Ron Paul's proving that age is just a number ... at least when it comes to wearing a tight pair of Daisy Dukes.

The 85-year-old former Congressman and Presidential candidate accidentally revealed his interesting wardrobe Wednesday night in the final seconds of his YouTube interview ... when he backed away from the camera a little too soon.

The well-known Libertarian was discussing the future of personal liberty on Zoom with Doug Casey, and turns out he took some liberties with his interview outfit by matching his suit jacket and dress shirt with a pair of short jean shorts.

What's interesting is ... back in 2015, Ron's Senator son, Rand Paul, was running for Prez himself when he ruffled some GOP donor's feathers by wearing jeans with a blazer to a major fundraising event.

Paris Hilton is linking up with none other than Danielle Bregoli -- AKA Bhad Bhabie -- over an issue that's near and dear to both lately ... alleged abuse at troubled teen camps.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ, Paris has been in contact with Danielle recently about the prospect of teaming up and working together to spread awareness about Breaking Code Silence -- an organization advocating for survivors from these types of facilities.

We're told Paris DM'd Danielle shortly after DB released her own testimonial about what she claims she experienced at Utah's Turn-About Ranch -- a youth facility she went to after her time on Dr. Phil's show way back in 2016 ... which she described as a nightmare.

ICYMI ... Danielle claimed she was subjected to cruel treatment and what she describes as child abuse via alleged sleep deprivation, malnutrition, unsanitary conditions and more. Danielle went on to allege other teens went through similar issues at Turn-About, including a girl who filed a lawsuit claiming she'd been sexually assaulted by the staff.

Of course, Paris has been beating the same drum -- having partaken in a documentary alleging abuse at Utah's Provo Canyon boarding school, and recently testifying in support of a Utah state bill to ban mistreatment at youth facilities.

That bill was signed into law, and Paris was there for that as well. So, with that in mind ... it makes sense she'd want to get on board with Danielle's campaign too.

As for exactly how they're going to work together, we're told that's still being discussed. However, Paris is making it clear she fully backs Danielle, telling TMZ ... "I support all survivors who share their personal experiences within the Troubled Teen Industry and I am proud of Danielle for using her voice and her platform. It is wonderful to see more public voices take on this Industry."

Paris also supports Danielle's efforts to get Dr. Phil not to place kids at Turn-About Ranch. She says, "People look up to Dr. Phil and I want to make sure the show is accurately portraying these residential facilities to desperate families and not continuing to spread the false narrative that these places heal kids."

Phil addressed Danielle's claims a few weeks ago when he was on Ashleigh Banfield's show. He said if Danielle has an issue with her treatment at Turn-About, she should file a complaint with law enforcement. Danielle released a video Wednesday responding to Phil's interview.

Kris Jenner is gonna love this ... Kim Kardashian says her family will have even more members joining the triple comma club in the future!!!

We got Kim at The Grove in Los Angeles Wednesday and our photog asked about her latest accomplishment, making it onto Forbes' official list of billionaires.

Kim says she's feeling blessed to have finally reached the milestone, thanks in large part to her KKW Beauty and SKIMS brands, and she sounds pretty confident she and Kylie Jenner won't be the only billionaires in the fam when the dust settles.

Kim was at the outdoor mall, btw, promoting SKIMS ... so, she's not taking her foot off the gas just because she's got a billie in the bank.

We asked who she thinks will be next up in the club for the Kardashian-Jenners, and she gave it some good hard thought. We suggested her mom, Kris, or maybe Kendall Jenner -- but Kim's thinking bigger, and says the bucks won't stop with those two!!!

No pressure or anything for Khloe, Kourtney and Rob. Not to mention North, Saint, Chicago, Psalm and -- well, we're not gonna run down ALL her nieces and nephews too. You get the point.

The rank and file within the Capitol Police are not feeling very reassured following last week's car-ramming attack that left one of their own dead -- and the reasons are startling.

Sources familiar with the day-to-day goings-on at the department tell TMZ ... there's been little to no communication from leadership over an action plan to help prevent this from happening again, which has left a lot of their officers fearing for their safety.

Fact is ... we're being told there simply hasn't been any type of formal gathering to specifically address the tactical breakdown that cost Officer William Evans his life Friday, when authorities say Noah Green slammed his car into a barricade outside the Capitol, and proceeded to try and slash the cops ... before ultimately being shot and killed.

Speaking of that, our sources say the positioning of officers that day has been called into question by lower-ranking members of the department -- namely, that the officers were stationed outside of the delta barrier, as opposed to inside, which is much more strategic and safer all around.

We're hearing officers who have been assigned to stand guard since Friday have now been pulled inside the barrier, but this change was not talked about at large ... just more evidence of what our sources say is the hush-hush nature of upper management.

Our sources say nothing else has been communicated regarding the attack other than what was discussed at a roll call meeting on Saturday -- where we're told a deputy chief provided a general apology for Friday's disaster, and told the 60 officers that day to "keep an eye out" going forward. A hands-off approach like that isn't cutting it for many of the ground -- contributing to an already growing sense of unease and a desire to book it for good.

The building workers who stood idly by in the lobby as an Asian woman was brutally attacked on the sidewalk are out of a job ... they've been fired.

The Brodsky Organization, which manages the building in question in New York City, tells us the doormen were canned for not following emergency and safety protocols ... in other words, doing nothing while the beatdown was carried out in front of them.

As we reported ... surveillance video captured the violence in Midtown Manhattan, where a 65-year-old woman who was on her way to church last month was viciously beaten by a complete stranger, who cops say is 38-year-old Brandon Elliot.

The beatdown was appalling, and so was this ... video shows the doormen taking in the action from a few feet away without lifting a finger, other than to close the door when the attacker bolts.

Xzibit is learning a hard lesson about the rules of engagement when it comes to selling weed, and rule #1 seems to be ... don't name your company after a chemical weapon.

The rapper/entrepreneur's company -- Napalm Cannabis -- has been dragged online because its name is a sore reminder of a chemical agent that was used in firebombs during the Vietnam War ... firebombs that killed and maimed innocent citizens, including the little girl whose photo became a symbol of the horror of the United States' involvement in the war.

Napalm was also used against Japan in WWII. Its use on civilians was banned internationally in 1980 by the U.N.

Customers of The Higher Path dispensary were deeply offended by the name, not to mention one product in particular -- a pre-rolled joint known as "The Grenade." Seems people didn't like the cavalier reference to deadly weapons of war.

As Asian hate crimes are on the rise ... the name conjures up images that should not be celebrated.

As for how this product line could even make its way to digital shelves in the first place -- Higher Path is chalking it up to ignorance and a lack of diversity. HP says, "As an entirely-white marketing team that lacks knowledge or trauma surrounding this weapon, we didn’t realize how violent and ignorant it was to promote such a brand/product. That’s on us." Fact is ... plenty of white people also knew the misery napalm caused.

"Words carry weight and it is incumbent upon all of us to have a thorough understanding of the words we choose and the effect they may have on others," Licht said in a statement.

Super Bowl champion Carlton Davis is in hot water for tweeting out a VERY offensive Asian slur -- though Davis claims he didn't know the "dark" history behind the word.

"Gotta stop letting g***s in Miami," the Tampa Bay Bucs cornerback posted on Sunday evening in a since-deleted tweet.

Obviously, the tweet went viral and people couldn't believe an NFL player would hurl such an offensive word around so casually.

Davis initially offered an explanation -- and actually had the balls to attack the media for criticizing him in the first place.

The 24-year-old posted a screenshot from the Urban Dictionary definition of the word (which, conveniently, wasn't even the top definition).

"A term commonaly [sic] used in South Florida to describe a person who is Lame. Synonym for Lame, wack, Fool or Stupid."

Davis added, "I would never offend any group of people. You reporters can look for another story to blow up. The term was directed towards a producer claiming he 'ran Miami.' With that being said I'll retire that word from my vocabulary giving the hard times our Asian family are enduring."

Just minutes later, Davis was changing his tune in another statement.

"I used a term that from where I come from has always meant 'lame' but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation. I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these tough times."

FYI, the g-word is an incredibly offensive anti-Asian slur that's been around for decades. It was widely used by American soldiers against Koreans and Vietnamese people during military conflicts.

Ans since Davis is into using definitions ... how about this one from Merriam-Webster.com:

"offensive -- used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a nonwhite, non-American person and especially for an Asian person."

No word if the NFL plans to take action.

Davis was a 2nd-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and had a pretty solid 2020 season ... logging 68 tackles and 4 interceptions during the Bucs' championship run.

LisaRaye McCoy is clarifying what she said about the Buffalo radio host who compared Black women to "toast," saying she is NOT defending the guy -- but simply pointing out ... yeah, he can have an opinion on the subject.

We got the actress Sunday at LAX and asked if she was standing in support of broadcaster Rob Lederman -- this after seemingly coming to his defense last week on her show, 'Cocktails with Queens,' with co-hosts Claudia Jordan, Syleena Johnson and Vivica A. Fox.

ICYMI ... LisaRaye didn't appear all that bothered by what Lederman had actually expressed at its core -- namely, that he prefers lighter-skinned Black women over darker-skinned ones.

The other women took issue, saying there was colorism at play with that type of thinking ... but LisaRaye is standing firm, even now ... the dude has a right to express what he likes, even if he's white. She notes his word choice was awful and demeaning, but when you drill down to the core ... she doesn't find it all that triggering.

LisaRaye says the reason some could've been more offended than others might have to with the climate we're in, and the fact people are way more sensitive these days.

BTW, she flatly denies being a colorist herself -- telling us she's got family members who are darker-skinned. That said, our camera guy asked her a provocative question ... and that would be, does colorism lend itself to racism by default?

A woman in Memphis made it clear -- she's having it her way or else -- and when she didn't get what she wanted, she unloaded a couple rounds inside the fast-food joint.

Cops say the suspect was beefing with employees because she felt she was waiting too long at the drive-thru. She got out of her car and the argument got more intense.

It escalated further, turning violent when she grabbed a gun from her car and, according to cops, fired shots through the window ... sending employees scurrying in terror as they fled through the back door. Thankfully no employees were hurt.

The woman was brazen ... staring right into the surveillance cam right before she unloaded her gun.

According to cops ... the suspect got back in her car and sped off with a man behind the wheel. No arrests have been made but cops are on the hunt.