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Ron DeSantis says Disney has joined a false narrative regarding a bill about LGBT education in grade schools there -- while also noting ... he's not backing down from making it law.

The Florida governor lashed out Thursday against what he called yet another "woke" corporation -- aka, Disney -- for trying to torpedo his party's efforts in passing HB 1557 ... which has also been colloquially dubbed as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

During an event in Boca Raton, DeSantis said Disney isn't gonna make him cave on the issue -- namely, he's going to sign it for what he says is the best interest of families ... going on to point out what he sees as hypocrisy from a company that touts wholesome values.

ICYMI ... Disney caught a lot of backlash last week for initially staying quiet (at least publicly) on the bill, which has become a lightning rod of controversy for months now. Eventually, though, the Mouse House's CEO, Bob Chapek, said they screwed up on that front.

Chapek said Disney had always opposed the bill, but didn't want to take a position on it, as he and leadership apparently thought they could do more BTS -- via lobbying and/or just through their content ... some of which has been viewed as LGBT-friendly, especially lately.

But, after being rebuked by his own employees, he apologized ... saying Disney would, in fact, publicly oppose the bill -- and even expressed Disney's concerns to DeSantis personally.

This clip is basically DeSantis' response to Disney's balancing act ... and to everyone else who's up in arms about this, it seems. He's defiant, and doubled down on this sentiment in an email sent out to donors and supporters shortly thereafter -- again invoking "woke."

As far as what the bill actually says and what would become the law in the Sunshine State, it's worth a read in full. While there are different sections and components, the big sticking point has to do with what students in kindergarten through 3rd grade can or can't learn.

Essentially, this will ban classroom instruction -- either from a teacher themselves or a 3rd-party -- on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in those earlier grades -- while allowing for "age-appropriate" learning in higher grades ... with parents looped in at every juncture.

Bill Maher has a fascinating take on America's view of Ukraine ... everyone here is making the war about them. Let us explain.

As the "Real Time" host says ... "Everything proves what we already believed and everything goes back to the thing we already hate."

As he puts it ... Biden supporters blame Trump's policies for the war, and vice versa. He hilariously references a comment Trump made about the war, saying it wouldn't have erupted but for a rigged American presidential election. Maher's reaction ... "Kanye thinks less about Pete Davidson than Trump thinks about the rigged election." BTW ... it wasn't rigged.

He points to groups like the 1619 Project, that have invoked race into the Ukrainian mix.  Maher's reaction ... it's not always about race. It's not like an avocado, he says, that you put on everything.

As he puts it, this is just "reflexive partisanship" ... we're now conditioned to viewing anything that happens through our own, sometimes narrow world view. He says, "We put everything new in our mouths and nothing new in our brains."

Comedian Jordan Carlos sees no problem making jokes about the tragedy in Ukraine ... but he says there's a delicate balance, with some lines that cannot be crossed.

We got Jordan at LAX and asked about some jokes he made when a woman in the audience at one of his gigs brought up Ukraine.

Jordan made some jokes about some folks online who are obsessed with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky ... saying he's hot.

Jordan says comedy helps the audience escape the woes of the real world, so he indulged with a few Zelensky jokes.

The Nelk Boys' SteveWillDoIt gave former President Donald Trump a sweet thank you gift following their recent podcast collab -- an iced-up Rolex, worth $75K!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the ice blue platinum Day-Date 40mm isn't sold in stores, meaning Steve had to custom order it.

Platinum Day-Dates are known to be among the most expensive Rollies on the market -- more valuable than gold models -- and we're told Trump's has the classic Rolex ice blue face.

Trump was the latest guest on the Nelk Boys podcast, "Full Send Podcast," which is hosted by Steve, Kyle Forgeard, Bob Menery and Salim The Dream. Steve told the former President he'd made a staggering $500k selling T-shirts with both of their faces.

Steve told Trump he wasn't sure how to repay him -- after all, his face took up half the tees -- so, he splurged on the bling'd out timepiece.

Trump's episode of 'Full Send' premiered Wednesday and racked up 5 million views before YouTube took it down.

Aliia Roza, the ex-Russian spy who once fell in love with one of her targets, is turning on Putin over his invasion of Ukraine ... she says he's desperate to win and will stop at nothing.

Aliia issued the chilling warning recently, telling overseas publications Putin will fight to the end because he knows a loss would be a stain on his reputation in Mother Russia.

The former spy says she actually trained in the same Russian military program that produced Putin, where she says trainees learn how to "stay calm and cold-blooded in a very stressful situation."

Aliia, who fled Russia after her oligarch husband was jailed, says she's terrified for her friends and family in both Russia and Ukraine ... because Putin hates to lose.

Aliia's life journey is pretty wild ... she was born in the former Soviet Union and says she was forced to become a Russian spy when she was only a teen. She was taught to seduce both men and women and says she was sexually assaulted by her superiors along the way.

For her first assignment, Aliia says she had to infiltrate a criminal gang of drug suppliers by pretending to be a prostitute ... and she ended up falling for the ring leader, a man named Vladimir.

Aliia says the gang eventually discovered she was a spy and took her to a forest in the dark of night and started beating her ... but she says the gang leader stepped in and saved her life.

After her lifesaver died, Aliia says she married a Russian oligarch in 2006 ... but when he was jailed and then died in prison, she and their young son fled Russia and never looked back.

Aliia bounced around from Switzerland to London before settling in California, and she now lives in a fancy mansion in Beverly Hills ... where she runs a PR firm and rubs elbows with Hollywood celebs.

President Biden's latest executive order is a big "W" for those in the crypto world, and a clear indicator everyone should, if nothing else, start learning what it's all about ... according to Daymond John.

The "Shark Tank" star joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" for his "Follow the Money" segment ... giving us his take on Biden's greenlight for feds to study risks and benefits of cryptocurrency. Daymond says the bottom line is ... it's really good news.

He says the news legitimizes crypto, and should get more people to invest. Even further, he believes Biden's interest in creating a digital U.S. dollar will protect all Americans.

Although, the prez did not announce any regulations of cryptocurrency ... Daymond says they'll be necessary to prevent investors from getting hurt or scammed.

Already, 16% of Americans have invested in crypto, and he says that number will increase greatly in the next 10 years.

Jussie Smollett's courtroom outburst isn't landing for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ... who is praising his 5-month jail sentence, condemning him for staging a hate crime and hoping his case is a warning to others.

After Jussie's sentencing, where he shouted he's innocent and left with a fist in the air, Mayor Lightfoot was totally unswayed, saying ... "The city feels vindicated in today's ruling that he is being held accountable and that we will appropriately receive restitution for his actions."

She also reminded everyone what that restitution will cover -- "The malicious and wholly fabricated claim made by Mr. Smollett resulted in over 1,500 hours of police work that cost the city over $130,000 in police overtime."

In other words, the Mayor's certain Smollett got exactly what he deserves at Thursday's sentencing.

Judge James Linn gave the ex-"Empire" actor 150 days in prison, 30 months of probation, a $25k fine and restitution of over $120k.

You'll recall ... Jussie told police he was the victim of a racist homophobic attack, back in 2019. He claimed 2 white men called him slurs, poured chemicals on him and put a noose around his neck.

Of course, brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo, who are Black, told cops the actor paid them to stage the entire "attack."

President Biden is continuing to tighten the screws on Russia, announcing a ban on Vodka, caviar and diamonds imported from the country.

On Friday, 46 announced that he -- along with the nations that make up the EU and G7 -- will revoke Russia's "most favored nation" trade status ... allowing the U.S. and other allies to impose higher tariffs on Russian imports.

The downgrade will also put a ban on Russian vodka, certain seafood and Russian diamonds.

We should note, Russian vodka makes up a small percentage of vodkas on the shelves in the U.S. ... a few Russian-made brands include Russian Standard, Beluga Noble Russian Vodka and Beluga Noble Russian Gold Vodka.

Back in 2019, Russia was the 26th largest goods trading partner of the U.S. ... the majority of those goods being Russian oil and gas -- which Biden banned earlier this week.

Former CIA operative Ric Prado says killing Vladimir Putin inside Russia isn't as easy as Sen. Lindsey Graham makes it sound, but he adds ... there is an opening, if the oligarchs want him gone.

Prado, who has more than 20-years experience in in the Agency, broke down what he believes his former colleagues can do to help Ukraine beat back Putin's Russian army. Many people, like Sen. Graham, have said the best option is getting Putin out of power ... and Prado's all for it too.

But, as he explained Thursday on "TMZ Live" ... killing Putin is easier said than done. For starters, he says Putin is well protected and his inner circle will do anything to keep him alive, because they're as good as dead if he's ever assassinated.

Ric also says Russian civilians don't stand a chance against Putin -- they just don't have the weaponry -- but oligarchs have the resources and connections to make Sen. Graham's wish come true.

He says the economic sanctions are squeezing the oligarchs ... and he'd like to see one or more of Russia's 100 billionaires put a bounty on Putin's head just to stop their own economic bleeding.

Two Ukrainians have emerged as war heroes who have inspired their nation and the world with their bravery and fortitude ... both improbable leaders who rose to the occasion.

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky was born in 1978 to Jewish parents in southern Ukraine. His family moved to Mongolia for 4 years and then returned to their homeland.

He studied at the Kyiv National Economic University and graduated in 2000 with a law degree.

And then, the turn to acting. While he was a student, he became interested in theatre, and from 1997-2003 he appeared on an improv show on Ukrainian TV.

In 2003, Zelensky founded a TV studio, serving as the creative director until 2011. Under his watch, the studio became one of the most successful in the country.

He went on to star in some farce comedies. He also tried his hand at romantic comedies -- one called "8 First Dates" and another called "8 New Dates."

He appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" and won the whole thing. He also was the voice of Paddington the bear in Ukraine's version of the films.

In 2014, as the then-Ukrainian President was toppled, Zelensky starred in a new show -- "Servant of the People" ... about a school teacher's improbable rise to power as President of Ukraine. The show became a huge hit.

Then another big turn. He decided to imitate his art and run for President of Ukraine in 2019 ... and his celebrity was enough to garner 73% of the vote.

The first real exposure Americans had to Zelensky was during the first Donald Trump impeachment, when Trump tried pressuring him to investigate Hunter Biden in return for receiving aid, something he refused to do.

You know the rest ... a guy who never dipped his toe in politics led the nation and stood firmly against Russian occupation. Zelensky has become a modern-day Winston Churchill, even quoting him in his resolve to save his country.

Vitali Klitschko is an equally improbable war hero. He was born 50 years ago in the U.S.S.R. and developed a love of boxing at age 13. He and his brother, Wladimir, both became amateur boxers and Vitali won a gold medal.

Vitali graduated from the Pedagogical Institute in Ukraine in 1996 and did postgraduate work at Kyiv University. He ended up with a Ph.D. in Sports Science.

Vitali and Wladimir both became professional boxers in 1996, and both excelled.

The 6'7" Vitali became the WBC champ and retired in 2005, but returned to boxing in 2008.

Vitali played a big role in Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution, and ran twice for mayor of Kyiv -- both times unsuccessfully.

In 2010, Vitali became the leader of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform. He gave up the WBC title in 2013 for a life in politics.

Vitali ran for mayor of Kyiv and won in 2014, and remains mayor to this day.

"The Challenge" star Jordan Wiseley wanted to find a way to help the crisis unfolding in Ukraine, so he flew to neighboring Poland ... and now he's got a key role in the war effort.

Jordan's staying about a kilometer from the Ukraine border at a small border crossing in Poland, along with his actor roommate Kevin Pasdon, and they're crossing the border in a truck and delivering crucial supplies to Ukrainian troops.

As Jordan explains, he felt drawn to the crisis and recently bought plane tickets to Poland with Kevin ... and while they landed last week without a plan, they knew they would find a way to pitch in, and they did.

Jordan and Kevin say their U.S. passports are being put to good use ... the travel docs allow them to cross into the country with relative ease, unlike other truck drivers who came to help from countries in the European Union.

It also helps Jordan knows how to use a manual transmission ... he says he grew up driving all sorts of vehicles back in the States ... and Jordan's tale of how they got their gig is pretty incredible.

While the deliveries are being made to Ukraine military forces, Jordan and Kevin are not exactly running firearms here ... they say they are delivering essential items, like food, blankets and gasoline.

There's also a bunch of manual labor involved ... they've got to load up the trucks each day with boxes, then unload them once they make it to their drop spots in Ukraine.

Here's a sanction Russian citizens will feel immediately ... all Starbucks and McDonald's restaurants are shutting down there in protest of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Starbucks has about 130 locations in Russia and Ukraine and employs about 2,000 people. CEO Kevin Johnson says Starbucks will provide support for the workers, but all shipments of products will cease ... and all the branches are temporarily closing.

The McDonald's hit will be even bigger ... there are nearly 850 restaurants closing down, and they employ 62,000 Russians.

The golden arches have been in Russia for just over 30 years -- there were huge lines when the first Moscow restaurants opened in 1990, in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Eastern Bloc.

Despite Mickey D's immense popularity there, CEO Chris Kempczinski says, "Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine."

Both companies had taken some heat for remaining open before today's announcements ... and other corporations are feeling the pressure now. Case in point, within an hour of Starbucks' pullout, Coca-Cola said it too will suspend all business in Russia.

As you know, the U.S. had announced economic sanctions that have crushed the value of Russia's currency. In addition, the U.S., and several other countries, are seizing the assets of Russia's oligarchs.

A heart-wrenching, and far too common scene, in Ukraine ... 2 soldiers killed while trying to fend off the Russians were laid to rest, and their friends and family could not hold back their emotions.

The funeral service for the soldiers -- only identified as 44-year-old Victor and 25-year-old Ivan -- commenced Tuesday. The servicemen were buried at the Lychakiv Cemetery, where loved ones gathered to say their final farewells and their grief is evident in these images.

Several mourners were down on their knees next to the gravesites ... sobbing and wiping away tears as they laid flowers atop the caskets.

An estimated 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in less than 2 weeks of war against the Russian invaders -- and nearly 500 civilians are confirmed dead.

We've seen buildings getting blown to bits from the outside looking in as Russia continues to invade Ukraine -- but here's a peak at the horror from behind closed doors.

This goes without saying ... but it doesn't go without showing. These are photos from inside homes and businesses hit by mortar and missiles throughout the besieged country -- and as you can see, it's utter devastation.

One shot appears to show a gym that's been decimated ... equipment destroyed and scattered about ... totally covered in ash and soot.

There's even some fires that are still going as a result of whatever attack this edifice endured -- again ... just giving you a sense of how bad the property damage is on the ground.

The same can be said for individual people's homes ... which are being turned upside down amid the conflict, with drawers being blown out ... and personal items and debris thrown every which way indoors. Those who are still around are trying to pick up the pieces.

Of course, this is to be expected considering the types of weaponry being unleashed onto the Ukrainian people at the hands of the Russians -- specifically, under the orders of Vladimir Putin. You hear about this stuff, but seeing it is a whole other story.

Philanthropist Bethenny Frankel's effort to help displaced Ukrainians is raising huge amounts of money, and now she's focused on finding ways to distribute the aid, quickly and safely.

Bethenny was on TMZ Live Monday with a huge update -- her Bstrong initiative (in-partnership with Global Empowerment Mission) has received $25 million worth of aid donations and supplies, with another $10M given in cash ... and the total is still climbing!

She says the supplies are going to an undisclosed location in Ukraine -- kept under wraps for safety concerns -- and they're also operating out of massive warehouses in Poland and Hungary. The goal is to use these hubs for those in need and have them serve as a space for organizations to pick up supplies as needed.

She also tells us the $10M in cash will go towards refugee relocation ... saying it's not about keeping Ukrainians happy in their own country anymore. She says the goal is to get them out safely, which will be more accessible with the money raised.

Bethenny's 11-year-old daughter Bryn has been helping out too ... making artwork to raise some cash for the cause! She made an exclusive set of paintings depicting the Ukrainian flag, and NY Mets owner Steve Cohen bought 5 of 'em right off the bat!

Senator Lindsey Graham caught some heat for suggesting someone needed to assassinate Vladimir Putin to end this Russia-Ukraine conflict ... and now, he's doubling down.

We got LG Monday at Reagan National Airport in D.C., and asked him to respond to the backlash he received last week after floating the possibility of Russians taking Putin out.

The basis of the criticism ... such talk is dangerous, and certainly not something a U.S. public official should be spewing -- even if it is something that's been on folks' minds.

Well ... Sen. Graham not only stands by what he said, but expands a bit on the subject -- saying just about everybody in the world sees what the Russian president is doing, and can clearly see the guy's a war criminal who must be stopped.

Graham notes Putin's been getting away with atrocities for years -- so, yes, he doesn't see anything wrong with musing about the possibility of his own people removing the man ... one way or another.

Our photog took the opportunity to ask about WNBA star Brittney Griner, who's being detained by Russian authorities on a drug charge.