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Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is getting an up-close look at his Secret Service agents in crunch time -- a bomb threat in Washington D.C. forced them to whisk VP Kamala Harris' husband to safety.

Emhoff's Secret Service detail leaped into action Tuesday during his appearance at Dunbar High School in D.C. for a Black History Month event. An agent reportedly approached Doug and told him it was go time, and they went ... quickly.

Looks like DE was a pretty cool customer during the crisis.

Agents took care of rushing Emhoff out of the room ... while students and teachers were also evacuated. The White House says the building's been cleared and everyone is safe now.

It's unclear if there was a real bomb -- but the threat comes on the heels of dozens of other bomb threats at Historically Black Colleges and Universities around the country. The threats started coming in as Black History Month was beginning.

Bill Maher for President??? Some folks are talking about it, and now a United States Senator is saying it's not the craziest idea in the world.

We got South Dakota Senator John Thune Monday at Reagan National Airport, and although he laughed out loud at first, he pivoted and said not only did Bill have the right to run ... he might even have an edge because celebrity matters in the world of presidential politics.

This all started a week ago, when Maher mused on 'Real Time' that Democrats are angry at him for criticizing the party but Republicans are now suggesting he throw his hat in the ring.

Fox News anchor Dana Perino suggested it a while back, and now Senator Thune is telling Bill ... if you wanna run, go for it. But, he offered a warning -- presidential politics is a rough and tumble business, so buyer beware.

A coupe of things ... first, Maher doesn't want to run. He called the "movement" "goofy s***," so he's keeping his night job.

Beyond that ... Maher is not criticizing Democrats because he wants them to lose ... it's the opposite. He's criticizing the Dems because he thinks they've done "goofy s***" and they're gonna lose to the Republicans if they don't get with the program.

Queen Elizabeth II is as sharp as ever -- this despite laying low publicly due to health concerns -- and she put her famous wit on full display on the eve of a big day.

QE2 was on hand Saturday at her countryside Sandringham Estate with some notable guests, who were there to hang out and watch Her Majesty cut a cake that was done up to celebrate a major anniversary that's happening on Sunday ... namely, her Platinum Jubilee.

It marks 70 years since her ascension to the throne on Feb. 6. 1952 ... so it's a helluva milestone for Liz and the monarchy at large. To usher in the moment, the Queen was given the honors to slice up her own cake -- and per usual, she let the jokes fly.

Check it out ... Queen Elizabeth is brought over to the table where the cake's at, and is then told it's upside down in her direction -- so that the press could see it and get a good shot.

In classic royal timing, QE2 fires back ... "So they can see. I don't matter?" That got a big laugh from just about everyone in the room. But, Lizzie wasn't done quipping just yet!

She made the initial cut into the pastry, and seemed pleased that it went in easy -- but it doesn't sound like she was too keen on finishing the job and dishing out pieces for everyone. She is the freakin' Queen after all ... and she let everyone know by asking that someone else do the deed.

A couple things to note about this -- Queen Elizabeth seems to be in great spirits, and more importantly ... appears relatively healthy too. Her well-being has been in question of late due to her having to skip a number of events and engagements she'd been scheduled to attend in person.

This, of course, was all on the advice of doctors ... but it seems she's doing quite alright for one of the most remarkable times in her life. As they say -- God save the Queen!

Bill Maher says he's finding himself in a weird position these days ... a hero on the right and a villain on the left.

Maher, a libertarian who has been a reliable Democrat, skewered the Dems Friday night on "Real Time" for what he called "goofy s***," but he says it's not about embracing Republicans ... he says it's about teaching Democrats how to effectively fight them.

He seems amused members of George W. Bush's Administration -- which helped get him fired back in the day -- are now suggesting he run for President.

The message was laced with hilarity ... "I am still the same unmarried, childless, pot-smoking libertine I always was. Let's get this straight. It's not me who's changed, it's the left who is now made up of a small contingent who've gone mental and a large contingent who refuse to call them out for it, but I will."

And, then he did ... "People sometimes say to me, 'You know, you didn't use to make fun of the left as much.' Yeah, because they didn't give me so much to work with. The oath of office I took was to comedy. And if you do goofy s***, wherever you are in the spectrum, I'm going to make fun of you because that's where the gold is. And the fact that they are laughing at it should tell you something. It rings true."

Maher made his case by calling San Francisco "a shoplifter's paradise." He called out members of Congress who have advocated canceling rent and mortgages ... members who believe "capitalism is slavery."

Bill didn't mince words ..."It's not my fault that the party of FDR and JFK is turning into the party of LOL and WTF."

A bridge completely collapsed in Pittsburgh Friday, sending cars plummeting to the earth below ... and it happened hours before President Biden was set to travel to that city to talk infrastructure.

It's unclear what caused the bridge to buckle, but it was snowing heavily. The entire span of the bridge collapsed -- a major artery linking various parts of the city.

The scene is surreal ... a bus landed into a ravine below -- fortunately, there were only 2 passengers and a driver on board, and none were seriously injured.

The Lt. Governor says there appear to be no fatalities, but at least 10 people were injured.  A slew of ambulances showed up and 3 people were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

The collapse caused a natural gas leak and as a precaution, people in nearby homes were evacuated. They were able to contain the leak.

Apparently, the whole “self-isolate if you test positive for COVID” thing, doesn’t apply to everyone … at least, that’s what Sarah Palin seems to think.

Palin was spotted with former NY Ranger Ron Duguay and friends Wednesday night at Elio’s in New York. The issue? Palin, who is unvaccinated, tested positive for COVID two days prior ... causing a judge to delay her defamation trial against the New York Times.

Things got so overwrought, according to law enforcement, a heated dispute broke out between a stranger and Duguay.

We're told someone tried to record Sarah and Co., because it became big news she tested positive. Cops were called to the restaurant but no one was arrested.

Someone who worked at the restaurant scoffed at the criticism, telling the New York Post, "S*** happens. People come to eat. We are not the border police."

Palin and Co. did sit outside at Elio’s, but that wasn’t the case over the weekend. She was there a few days earlier and dined inside, which caused an uproar and forced her to return to apologize. When she came back to eat again, Elio’s said, “Palin returned to the restaurant to apologize for the fracas around her previous visit. In accordance with the vaccine mandate and to protect our staff, we seated her outdoors”.

We don't know if Palin got a negative result after her positive tests. Many doctors say the virus stays in the system of unvaccinated people longer than those who are vaccinated.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring after more than 2 decades on the bench -- the timing is certainly significant, and the battle over his replacement will be fascinating.

Justice Breyer was appointed to the Supreme Court way back in 1994 by President Bill Clinton, and there was mounting pressure from Democrats for him to step aside for some new blood.

From the outside, it certainly appears Breyer learned a lesson from Ruth Bader Ginsburg's situation -- with RBG not stepping down when a Democrat was in office as she grew older, ultimately leading to Donald Trump's hand-picked replacement ... Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

The timing of Breyer's retirement is interesting ... the midterm elections are looming and there's a possibility the Democrats could lose their slim majority in the Senate, which would make it nearly impossible for President Joe Biden's pick for a new Justice to get confirmed.

Breyer will remain on the bench until the Supreme Court's current term ends this summer.

Republicans have made clear their intentions to block any potential candidate put forward by President Biden, if the GOP wins back a Senate majority in the midterms.

Right now the Democrats hold the majority in the House and Senate, so look for President Biden to push through a replacement for Justice Breyer rather quickly.

President Biden insulted a reporter with some foul language over what he thought was a ridiculous inquiry ... and it got picked up on a hot mic!

JB brought the press in to the White House Monday for a photo-op following a roundtable chat with his cabinet on how to quickly lower costs in the U.S. -- this as prices continue to soar nationwide. As chirping journos were being ushered out ... FOX News' White House Correspondent Peter Doocy fired away.

He asked Biden if he thought inflation could be a political liability for the midterms, and Joe actually responded -- albeit, under his breath. It seems he thought the mic was turned off.

Not the case ... because his microphone was on, and you hear sarcastically say, "That's a great asset -- more inflation. What a stupid son of a bitch."

Doocy says he didn't hear it and was told by other reporters about the comment.

Doocy was interviewed about the jab shortly following Biden's remarks, with one FN host openly wondering ... are ya, in fact, a stupid S.O.B.??? PD had a hilarious response.

Kim Kardashian is back in the political sphere, this time hooking up with Hillary and Chelsea Clinton at a local black-owned coffee shop in L.A. ... with an important mission.

The trio was spotted Monday at Hot & Cool Cafe in Canoga Park. They were also joined by a camera crew, though our sources say it wasn't for the upcoming Kardashian project on Hulu. It's for "Gutsy Women" ... a Clinton-led show for Apple TV+.

Hot & Cool was founded in 2018, and features a vegan menu. According to the cafe's website, the owners chose the area because residents had historically faced challenges in trying to find healthy and convenient food options.

Not only that, the cafe is known for hiring formerly incarcerated people and underserved youth, something Kim has really been an advocate of recently.

"Gutsy Women" is a show featuring a cast of diverse and trailblazing women -- hence the stop in L.A. to highlight H&C's owners Tina Amin and Tony Jolly.

This is a new wrinkle, publicly at least, in Kim's profile as an advocate for the less fortunate.

As you know, she's been pushing prison reform ... visiting and speaking at The White House while Trump was in office, and she's inching closer to becoming an attorney to continue her work.

Sen. Mitch McConnell's attempts to backtrack his remark about Black voters aren't flying with some people ... especially the leader of Black Voters Matter.

LaTosha Brown, who co-founded the group, tells TMZ ... the Senate Minority Leader's comments weren't shocking, but most certainly disturbing, because she says the comment was rooted in racism.

She admits McConnell probably didn't intend to say what he said, but LaTosha believes that's what he believes ... so, it just came out. As she puts it, "The lips will betray the heart."

As you know, Sen. McConnell's come under fire for the comment that certainly sounded like he doesn't view Black people as Americans. He said, "Well, the concern is misplaced, because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans."

What made it even worse was the fact he said it just before leading the push to defeat the John Lewis Voting Rights Act in the Senate. In fact, McConnell was attempting to explain why he thinks there's no need for the legislation.

Bill Maher is back!!! And boy, this one's a doozy ... a plan for Democrats to stay in power after the 2024 election ... and it involves Joe Biden, Barack Obama and gay marriage.

This is going to sound absurd on its face ... but there's a hugely important message behind the farce, so play along. Maher says Republicans have changed the rules and even flouted the law with zero shame to get their way ... and Democrats need to do the same thing.

Maher says whether fair or not, Biden doesn't seem to be a winning candidate in '24. He ticks off others like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders but dismisses them too.

So, who then? Bill says the only person who Democrats will swarm to the polls to vote for is Barack Obama.

So, here's his plan ... Obama and Biden divorce their wives (but only in title ... they'd still be together) and then marry each other. Obama goes back into the White House and becomes a de facto Prez.

Now, Bill's still gotta learn the lingo ... he calls Obama "First Lady." Bill, it's "First Gentleman." It's 2022.

Now, don't misunderstand his point. Maher is saying Democrats are losing to Republicans because of rule adherence, something scoffed at by the GOP. Bill wants the Dems to pull a Gus -- Remember the movie, "Gus," where a mule became a kicker for a football team after the team argued there was no specific rule preventing mules from becoming team members?

He's not really saying Obama and Biden should marry ... he's making a do-or-die point.

BTW ... in case you're wondering, Biden couldn't pick Obama as his VP ... the 12th Amendment prohibits a Vice President from being elected if they're not qualified to be President, and Obama can't become Prez again because of the 2-term limit.

Mitch McConnell made a shocking comment about voting ... essentially saying black people aren't Americans.

The Senate's Minority Leader was asked about concern that Black voters would be denied the right to vote because the John Lewis Voting Rights Amendment went down in flames.

His response ... "Well, the concern is misplaced, because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans."

McConnell made the comment Wednesday, and the next day tried to clarify, saying, "I have consistently pointed to the record-high turnout for all voters in the 2020 election, including African Americans."

The reality -- 19 states have passed a total of 34 laws that will almost certainly make it harder for people to vote ... especially in minority communities.

Bernie Sanders is making money for some of his constituents, thanks to a meme from the Inauguration ... because folks are buying more of those famous mittens on the 1st anniversary.

Here's the deal ... Bernie became an instant meme when he wore a pair of mittens, gifted to him by an elementary school teacher in Vermont, when Joe Biden was sworn into office on a chilly day in Washington D.C.

People started buying tons of handmade mittens from Jen Ellis, the woman who sent that pair to Bernie back in 2016, and now we're told sales are spiking again.

Jen was overwhelmed by the initial demand ... she partnered with the Vermont Teddy Bear Company to manufacture and distribute the mittens infamously worn by Bernie ... and the company tells us they saw a 50% spike in mitten sales Thursday, which marked one year since the Inauguration.

VTBC says they attribute the uptick in mitten sales to the anniversary of Bernie's viral moment ... with folks mostly snapping up blue and gray mittens, even though there's no exact replica of Bernie's for sale.

The company says they've sold 12,000 pairs of mittens since partnering with Jen back in March 2021 ... and to keep up with the demand they hired 10 more workers.

Jen says she gets tons of fan mail now ... people send her art, books and mittens they've made ... but Jen tells us she's still focused on teaching her 2nd-grade students and doesn't want the mittens side hustle to become her full-time gig.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' wax figures are now on public display ... and it's a historic moment.

Madame Tussauds New York revealed the sculptures Tuesday as part of their "Oval Office" experience ... and it's the first time the famous wax museum immortalized a Veep.

As you can see, the resemblance here is uncanny ... MT really has this thing down. Biden and Harris are dressed in replica outfits from Inauguration day -- smiling as they stand on opposite ends of the Resolute desk.

The White House should be pretty damn satisfied with the final result here. Fact is, we've seen some of these displays go south. Just ask the Beyhive!!!

Madame Tussauds even accessorized Biden with a pair of his trademark aviator shades. 😎

Tradition calls for the famed wax museum to give this treatment to each U.S. president, but we've never seen them extend the honor to a VP ... until Harris.

Prince Harry is giving the British government an ultimatum when it comes to his security across the pond ... afford me and my family protection one way or another, or else.

The Duke of Sussex's lawyers fired off a "pre-action protocol letter" to the Home Office department of the United Kingdom Government -- think Homeland Security for comparison -- in which they made clear ... if Harry and his family are not offered public security, from police officers and the like, while in the U.K. ... they'll be seeking a judicial review.

The move to essentially threaten the government with legal action reportedly comes after Harry, of late, has offered to pony up the cash for his own police security detail ... which was apparently denied from high-ups in HO, despite Harry insisting it was absolutely necessary.

Harry's reps released a statement explaining why he was doing this, arguing that he has taken on an inherent risk that he acquired from birth ... and which he'll carry for the rest of his life. Now, that he's got a family with Meghan Markle, that risk extends to them as well.

His reps also said this ... even though Harry and Meghan pay for their own private security here in the States -- where they now live since Harry stepped away from his Royal duties -- but unfortunately ... those bodyguards/that intel does not suffice when they visit his native land.

They cite a security breach in July 2021 -- when he was in town for a statue unveiling for his mother -- and once again insist ... he needs to be able to protect himself and his family.

Harry's team goes on to say he wants to bring his children, Archie and Lilibet, to the U.K. to visit ... but because of this ongoing issue -- which has apparently been playing out BTS for at least a couple years now -- he isn't able to, as they say, it's too dangerous.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez probably regrets heading down to Florida last week -- because she just caught a case of coronavirus a full 7 days later ... and is apparently hurting.

The New York congresswoman announced Sunday that she'd come down with 'rona, saying she's received a positive test result -- but not really saying when exactly. She says she IS experiencing symptoms ... and is now recovering at home.

Her office's statement notes AOC is double vaccinated, and that she received her booster shot in the fall. And for good measure, she encourages everyone to get vaccinated and to follow all CDC guidelines.

That last part is catching a little bit of backlash at the moment ... seeing how the Representative was just down in the Sunshine State for New Year's with her boyfriend, where she appeared to be mostly maskless ... while hobnobbing with kinda big crowds, which included the likes of Billy Porter, among others at a drag show brunch event.

Granted, a lot of the photos and video of her in Miami (sans a mask) are outside -- which, by traditional wisdom at this point, seems to help.

Still ... considering AOC has been a strong proponent of strict 'rona protocols, many found it interesting she'd fled to a state whose governor she's been critical of in his handling of COVID.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is far from the first member of Congress to contract COVID -- Sens. Warren and Booker also announced they'd tested positive not too long ago.