You Might Want to Rethink

Daymond John thinks restaurants and retail companies recruiting minors to fill job vacancies is a BRILLIANT idea ... and he has harsh words for those who are sitting on the sidelines and not willing to work.

The "Shark Tank" star appeared on "TMZ Live" ... praising business owners who are hiring 14 and 15-year-olds, especially in the food industry.

He makes solid points ... Steve Jobs and Bill Gates started early learning their craft before taking over the world. He says many 13 and 14-year-olds aren't distracted by things like romance, and they are reliable workers who are eager to learn and excel.

It would definitely fill a void ... there are more than a million job openings that have gone unfilled for various reasons. Daymond says if adults don't want to fill the positions, they're gonna be left in the dust because these kids can do their jobs just fine.

A McDonald's in Oregon posted a sign that read, "Now Hiring 14 & 15 Year Olds." A Burger King in Ohio said "Do You Have A 14 Or 15 year old? Do They Need A Job?? We Will Hire Them!" A Texas chicken chain has even promoted teenagers to management positions that pay more than $50k a year.

The Supreme Court has all but said Roe vs. Wade is history, but not without a few justices railing on the majority for grossly abdicating its responsibility.

The justices -- by a 5 to 4 margin -- refused to hear a challenge to the Texas anti-abortion law, which essentially makes it illegal for abortions to be performed after the 6th week of pregnancy. And, there's no exception for rape or incest. And, anyone in the United States can sue anyone who facilitates an abortion after the 6th week and collect $10k.

The justices who formed the majority were predicable ... Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and the 3 Trump appointees -- Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Barrett. Trump said he was picking justices who would overturn Roe, and his picks were true to form.

The majority said the case was just too complex for a quick ruling ... presenting novel issues. The fact is ... the Texas law is squarely, undeniably at odds with Roe vs. Wade. The justices hung their hats on the enforcement mechanism -- that private citizens and not the State itself was responsible for enforcing the law. But the reality is ... the ground rules for an abortion in Texas fly in the face of Roe. Nevertheless, the justices chose to punt.

The dissents were blistering. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision was "stunning," adding the majority chose to "bury their heads in the sand." She calls the law "clearly unconstitutional.

Sotomayor said, "In effect, the Texas Legislature has deputized the State's citizens as bounty hunters, offering them cash prizes for civilly prosecuting their neighbors' medical procedures."

A gay couple in Nashville was told they couldn't get married at the venue they wanted because of their sexual orientation, and the venue's owner certainly had an awkward way of turning them down.

Mike Gill tells us he recently got in touch with Jackie Daniel, who owns Barn in the Bend. Mike tells us he and his partner, Coty, thought the spot would be perfect, but it didn't take long for things between him and Jackie in email exchanges to get weird.

Mike says at some point, Jackie apparently figured out he was going to be marrying another man. She sent Mike an email, but it clearly stated the opposite of what she actually wanted to say -- It read, "We offer same sex marriage ceremonies only."

Jackie apparently figured out her mistake and fired off another email about an hour later with a different signature, saying, "We do not offer same sex marriage ceremonies."

Mike told Jackie he'd let everyone in the area know that BITB was bigoted, but Jackie let him know her decision was based on her religious beliefs, saying, "I wish you the best in life and the best future in all that you do."

While Mike and Coty are pissed -- they may be fighting an uphill battle. You'll recall the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was permissible for a baker to refuse to decorate a cake for a gay couple based on religious convictions. That case isn't the same as Mike and Coty's, and it's unclear how SCOTUS would rule.

As for Mike and Coty, they tell us they don't want anything from Jackie and BITB -- just to make it known gay couples aren't welcome at the venue -- and are working to lock down a more inclusive spot.

P!nk seems quite concerned a teen influencer is being used by her parents in an unsettling way -- but the kid's speaking for herself, saying she is in the driver's seat here.

Piper Rockelle -- a YouTuber who just turned 14 -- tells TMZ ... "The first thing I want everyone to know is that my mom doesn't make me do anything. Quite the opposite, I'm a kid who had a dream and my mom is amazing enough to help me live it out."

She adds this of P!nk's worries ... "I don't think P!nk has ever seen one of my YouTube videos because if she did she'd see it's just my friends and me having fun and acting like ourselves. The content we make is the kind of stuff anyone can watch."

ICYMI ... P!nk took to social media over the weekend to address what she considered the over-sexualization of children -- and specifically name-dropped Piper to make her point. The singer seemed to take exception with a bikini photo posted to Piper's IG recently.

Piper touches on that too, telling us she rocked the bikini 'cause ... well, it's summer, adding she doesn't see anything sexual about a 14-year-old wearing a 2-piece in and of itself.

The YT'er told us she just did a crash course on P!nk, and learned she started following her dreams for stardom right around the same age Piper is now ... so, she questions why P!nk's giving her flak for doing the same thing.

A Southern California teacher is in the hot seat for suggesting her students pledge allegiance to the Pride flag ... instead of the American flag.

The lady's name is Kristin Pitzen, and she works for the Newport Mesa School District in Orange County -- which can lean pretty conservative compared to L.A. To that point, she apparently pissed off a lot of parents and Twitter users over this video she posted.

Check it out ... Pitzen says she packed away the U.S. flag in her classroom during COVID -- because it made her uncomfortable -- and hasn't been able to find it (nor does she seem to want to). The lady's giggling through her story pretty much the whole way through.

Fast-forward to the 2021 school year, where she says some students -- at least those who've chosen to partake, that is -- have asked what they're supposed to pledge allegiance to during the morning announcements ... seeing how Pitzen still hasn't gotten Old Glory back up yet.

She jokingly says she told one of the students who asked her that ... well, there's one flag they could pledge to if they wanted -- and pans to the rainbow flag behind her.

The video has reportedly triggered outrage in the community for a variety of reasons -- some feel like she's "indoctrinating" their children while others feel she was just outright disrespectful to the flag and the U.S. by extension ... especially hurtful during this Afghanistan moment.

JuJu ... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and influencer JuJu Smith-Schuster just joined the biggest craze on the internet -- the milk crate challenge -- days before the NFL season is about to kick off ... and we're concerned.

If you've been living under a rock, the crate challenge is when people try to climb unstable stacks of plastic bins ... balancing on as many as 7 at one time.

It's a seriously dangerous act -- some people have reported major injuries from trying it -- and even social media platform TikTok has banned the content due to safety concerns.

But, that hasn't stopped JuJu from getting in on the action ... with video surfacing Monday of the 24-year-old recently attempting the challenge.

Thankfully, JuJu was able to make it across the line of crates without a problem ... but the big issue is that there's a chance it could NOT have ended well.

Granted, it looks like there were a couple of guys ready to catch him if he fell ... but still, who knows what coulda happened.

BTW -- JuJu recently signed a 1-year, $8,000,000 deal with the Steelers ... and plays an important role in the team's offense.

He's come under fire in the past for antics like posting TikToks in the locker room and dancing on opposing teams' logos.

With Week 1 approaching, it sure seems like there are much safer ways to pass the time.

Korn lead singer Jonathan Davis is gutting it out onstage as he continues to recover from the coronavirus -- he needed an oxygen mask onstage just to get through a performance.

Jonathan and Korn returned to the stage Friday night in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park after canceling a bunch of shows when he contracted COVID-19 earlier this month -- and it's clear he's still struggling with the lingering aftereffects.

Video shows Jonathan taking occasional breaks to suck in SOME pure O2 between songs, and he spent the majority of the concert sitting down on a huge throne.

Korn guitarist Brian Welch says Jonathan's still feeling "physically weak and having a mental battle" ... and he's drawing on the energy from fans.

Jonathan confirmed as much to the crowd, saying ... "I'm f****** feeling very weak but I f****** refuse to f****** cancel!!!"

Mets exec Sandy Alderson is furious with Javy Baez and other players for giving thumbs down gestures to fans this weekend ... with the team prez calling the moves "unprofessional."

Baez, Kevin Pillar and Francisco Lindor all made the hand movements during their win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday ... with Baez later explaining it's all 'cause NY fans have booed them during their recent slump.

"They gotta be better," Baez said of Mets fans after saying he does hear the jeers after poor at-bats at the plate.

"I play for the fans and I love the fans, but if they're going to do that, they're just putting more pressure on the team and that's not what we want."

"We’re not machines," Baez added. "We’re going to struggle. We’re going to struggle seven times out of 10"

Not long after Baez finished giving those comments ... Alderson made it known he would NOT accept the gesture from the team's new superstar or anyone else on the squad going forward.

"These comments, and any gestures by him or other players with a similar intent, are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Alderson said.

"Mets fans are understandably frustrated over the team’s recent performance. The players and the organization are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. Booing is every fan’s right."

73-year-old Alderson added he will be meeting with Baez and the rest of the team and staff to make sure they get the message.

"The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans," Alderson said, adding, "Mets fans are loyal, passionate, knowledgeable and more than willing to express themselves."

"We love them for every one of these qualities."

Scott Zolak is issuing an apology for saying Cam Newton is "distracted" by rap music at Patriots practice ... saying on-air he should have never made the "racially insensitive" remarks.

The ex-New England QB issued the mea culpa on the 98.5 The Sports Hub pregame show just before the Patriots played the Giants in their preseason game ... adding that he had spoken with Newton in person over it all.

"I'm sorry for that comment," said Zolak, who played QB for New England from 1992 through 1998. "I didn't need to make that comment."

Of his conversation with Cam, Zolak said, "I got a chance to talk to him, and Cam's nothing but class. Great guy. He handled it perfectly."

If you missed it, while Zolak was reporting from Patriots practice last Thursday ... he said he believed rap music blaring over the speakers was hurting Cam's game.

Zolak then urged his former team to turn the music off.

"I think it's distracting for Cam here," Zolak said. "Because in between every throw he's dancing."

Zolak continued, "He can't help himself."

Newton played sparingly in the Pats' preseason finale Sunday ... completing just 2 of his 5 passes while throwing an interception. He's expected to be the team's starter when the Pats open up regular season play on Sept. 12 against Miami.

Jennifer Lopez was letting it all hang out this weekend for Dolce & Gabbana -- and that goes doubly for her outfit ... which you almost could've scanned yourself at a checkout line.

She was down in Venice Saturday for a fashion show put on by the luxury brand -- and they decked her out in the ultimate Your Highness getup that they had on the rack ... a flowery 3-piece ensemble consisting of black pants, a crop top and a freakin' cape (Batman-style).

Sure looked good on her, no doubt -- but as Jen made her way down a dock to a waiting boat along St. Mark's Square en route to the shindig ... an unremoved price tag flashed.

Yep ... you could clearly see the barcode attached to the inside of the cape -- and while the actual price wasn't visible, it still looked pretty tacky. Of course, this is something JL was likely lent for the ball-like event ... but a label like this makes it all the more obvious. Oof ...

Jenny didn't seem to mind, though ... because she didn't really see it or notice, it appears. And, with a faux pas like this, "ignorance is bliss" is definitely the motto. See no evil, right?!

Lizzo has weighed in on the King/Queen of Pop debate -- and she's stirring the pot big time by crowning the great Janet Jackson as the latter ... which has Madonna fans up in arms.

The singer dished her rankings Sunday -- this after Justin Bieber took the title of Prince of Pop among his fanbase following a milestone Spotify record -- and she seems to concur ... saying that the Biebs is, indeed, the Prince ... still behind Michael Jackson, the King.

Then, Lizzo threw a wrench in things with her Queen bestowment -- saying Mike's sister is actually right alongside him on the pop throne ... and that was met with pushback.

Of course, music fans had to interject and point out that Madge has long claimed that title for herself -- as she's an iconic artist who did A LOT for the genre in her heyday, and just in general over the years. Some feel Lizzo's putting her head in the sand on this one.

We should point out -- before people start getting too crazy on this whole thing -- that this is simply Lizzo's opinion ... and that none of these titles are all that official anyway. Still, Lizzo seems to have taken notice of the online ruckus she caused ... writing "Ruhruoh."

She clarified later saying that there's a new generation of up-and-coming artists who might take these folks' place one day -- but, for now, Lizzo considers this the standard.

As for the rest of her list -- she thinks Britney's the PoP, Rihanna's the PP, and Beyonce's in her own category. Honorable mentions for other genres include Usher (R&B King), Aretha Franklin (Soul), Mariah (R&B Queen), Tina Turner (Rock and Roll) and Mary J (Hip-Hop/Soul).

Kanye West hosting Marilyn Manson at his latest "Donda" event has spurred a reaction from one of the latter's most notable accusers ... Evan Rachel Wood's got a response, in song.

The actress hit the Bourbon Room in Hollywood Saturday night, where she got on stage and did an impromptu performance of the New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" ... with just a guitarist and an iPhone on hand to help out.

It's pretty clear who ERW was dedicating the song to, because her caption alluded to "survivors" who she feels were betrayed this week -- of course, in relation to Manson. Also, as you may know, Manson is name checked in the lyrics ... and when she sang that line (4:40 in the video), Evan threw up a middle finger.

She writes, "For my fellow survivors who got slapped in the face this week. I love you. Don't give up." Evan also said that she'd been saving this cover, and that Saturday felt like an appropriate time to let it rip.

This all comes on the heels of Kanye's third listening show in Chicago this week -- where he not only had Manson come hang out, but DaBaby as well ... both of whom have been embroiled in controversy of late. Manson, however, is another level ... he's been accused of rape and sexual abuse by numerous women -- all of which he's vehemently denied.

Still, it was a bizarre move on Ye's part to bring both of those guys out -- not to mention feature them on one of his tracks. DB and MM are on "Jail, Pt. 2." Some reports say Kanye did it just for shock value and publicity ahead of the release ... which if true, is bonkers.

Speaking of the chaotic upload of "Donda" ... Ye spoke on that just today, saying it was put out by UMG without his final approval. But, he still appears to be firmly in support of "Jail, Pt. 2" being included. For the record ... the song did end up making it on Apple and Spotify.

Not even Oprah is safe from a years-later look back at questionable behavior -- including an interview she did with Dolly Parton that's now under the microscope ... with a 2021 lens.

Clips from the 2003 sit-down with the iconic country singer resurfaced this weekend, and it seems some people have questions about what Oprah was asking Dolly, how she was asking ... and what exactly her goal was by probing for what some might consider personal deets.

In the first video, Oprah asks Dolly how she's able to look so good for her age ... and Dolly gives a jokey answer. O follows up, though, and presses ... noting she's been open about having cosmetic work done -- but Dolly rolls with the punches, and cops to it openly.

Dolly even says she'll probably continue going under the knife - and some people are pointing out that Oprah looks sorta disappointed that Dolly flipped it in her favor. Frankly ... that's kinda reaching -- but that's how some fans are interpreting the body language.

A 2nd clip from that same interview popped up as well, and Oprah dives right in on a heavy subject ... saying she heard Dolly fell into a huge depression at age 40. Yes, she's pretty flip and cavalier about it -- almost in a "gotcha" sense -- but DP is graceful.

There, too, she's nimble, and jokes she wasn't depressed about her age -- but about her whole look in general, to which she got a laugh. In other words, she expertly batted off Oprah's "tough questions" with the utmost charm ... that's what Twitter's saying, anyway.

Now, some analysis ... people are either coming to drag Oprah over this (yes, seriously) or racing to her defense -- pointing out that she's a champion for so many good things, and that this interview doesn't make or break her legacy. And to that point, it certainly doesn't.

With that said, Orpah's sometimes-abrasive style of interviewing is no secret -- she's used this head-on approach throughout her career (including recently with Harry and Meg), and has been called out for not being as sensitive as she perhaps could've been. More often than not, though, she's gotten a pass ... 'cause she's Oprah Winfrey ... and her goodwill with the public goes a long way. Also, a lot of people love her for the no-holds-barred attitude.

Well, it finally happened ... "Donda" is out!!!

Kanye finally released his long-awaited album ... this, after multiple listening parties and would-be release dates that came and went.

The album, which has 26 songs, hit Apple Music and Spotify Sunday AM.

The release was not without drama ... in the middle of the night, Kanye posted tweets which seemed to say the most recent hold-up was that DaBaby hadn't signed the necessary releases to clear his verse for the song "Jail." DaBaby is not on the track, instead, Jay-Z appears. You'll recall, Jay recorded his verse hours before the first listening party in Atlanta ... a sign their feud was squashed. It was confusing when DaBaby replaced Jay's verse at the Chicago listening party, but Jay is now back.

The album was initially supposed to be released July 23. That date got moved to August 6. Then it became unclear exactly when the album would hit streaming services. Kanye's manager promised it would be released following last Thursday's listening event at Soldier Field in Chicago ... and that promise was kept.

Ye famously tinkers with his albums even after their release ... e.g., "The Life of Pablo," so the same may happen with "Donda."

As for the songs on the album, it's heavily religious ... "Donda Chant," "Jail," "God Breathed," "Off the Grid," "Hurricane," "Praise God," "Jonah," "Ok Ok," "Junya," "Believe What I Say," "24," "Remote Control," "Moon," "Heaven and Hell," "Donda," "Keep My Spirit Alive," "Jesus Lord," "New Again," "Tell the Vision," "Lord I Need You," "Pure Souls," "Come to Life," "No Child Left Behind," "Ok Ok, Pt. 2," "Junya, Pt. 2," "Jesus Lord, Pt. 2."

Here's what's interesting ... Drake seemed to drop a clue last week his album will drop Friday ... so with the release of "Donda," Drake and Ye will be going head-to-head for #1 bragging rights.

And, the final mystery ... Kim Kardashian. As you know, she wore a wedding dress at the Chicago listening party. TMZ broke the story, the divorce is not a done deal anymore. Kanye and Kim have been seeing each other privately, and they seem to be trying to work things out ... whatever those things are.

This could be the dumbest, most ridiculous woke move ever ... Sarah Paulson is getting dragged for wearing a fat suit portraying Linda Tripp in "Impeachment: American Crime Story," because some critics think the role should have gone to someone with Tripp's body shape.

Yes, there are people who think an actor of Linda Tripp's size was denied a role that rightly should have gone to her.

Now, this is not to say it's not legit to debate actors wearing fat suits. But, is it essential to the role? As Sarah says, "There's a lot of controversy around actors and fat suits, and I think that controversy is a legitimate one. I think fat phobia is real. I think to pretend otherwise causes further harm. And it is a very important conversation to be had."

But, saying size matters in casting a role ... that's another thing altogether. What about actors who use prosthetics? What about a blonde actor who plays a redhead? Or an actor who gains or loses a lot of weight for a role ... a la Christian Bale or any other method actor???

Sarah brilliantly shut down the haters ... "I do think to imagine that the only thing any actor called upon to play this part would have to offer is their physical self is a real reduction of the offering the actor has to make."

She goes on ... "I would like to believe that there is something in my being that makes me right to play this part. And that the magic of hair and makeup departments and costumers and cinematographers that has been part of moviemaking, and suspension of belief, since the invention of cinema. Was I supposed to say no[to the role]."

Sarah was vague at the end, saying now that she knows what she knows, she would respond differently if offered the Linda Tripp part. She says, "I think the thing I think about most is that I regret not thinking about it more fully ... Should I have known? Abso-f***ing-lutely. But I do now. And I wouldn't make the same choice going forward."

A woman fleeing Afghanistan gave birth on a Turkish Airlines flight headed for the U.K. ... but the citizenship of the baby is something of a mystery.

Soman Noori, a 26-year-old Afghan with 2 kids, was on board the jet when she started having contractions. As the plane cruised at 33,000 feet above Kuwait, she gave birth.

The baby's name is Havva -- in English, Eve.

There have been other births during the evacuation as well.  Several other Afghan women gave birth either on a U.S. aircraft or at a U.S. military base in a foreign country.

One woman gave birth on a U.S. military plane that landed in Germany. Medics jumped on board when the plane landed and tended to her. The parents named the newborn girl Reach ... the call sign of the C-17.

According to the State Dept's Foreign Affairs Manual, "A U.S.-registered aircraft outside U.S. airspace is not considered to be part of U.S. territory," thus "a child born on such an aircraft outside U.S. airspace does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of the place of birth."

If a child is born over U.S. airspace, they would become a U.S. citizen.

It's unclear if a baby born on a military base in a foreign country would be eligible for U.S. citizenship.