Second Gentleman Doug Mum On Whether Kamala Will Become 1st Female Prez ... And Who Cooks These Days???
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Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff seemed at home Tuesday in Bev Hills ... and that's because he was on his home turf, shopping for presents and answering certain questions but avoiding others.
DE bought an art book at Taschen Books and we got him as he was leaving, flanked by Secret Service agents in casual attire (they still stick out like a sore thumb!).
Doug was quick on the draw, shutting down our photog's inquiry about the book and who it was for. Then we pivoted ... the Veep has a self-confessed affinity for cooking, so we asked if she still tries her hand in the kitchen -- here we did better and got an answer, but he was evasive on her go-to meals.
And then, the big Q -- now that his wife has settled in to the #2 spot, is she setting her sights on the brass ring? This requires interpretation -- body language and what not -- so you be the judge.
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U.S. Government Spend Big $$$ on Peloton Equipment
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Uncle Sam seems to be all in on Peloton -- we've learned the feds have spent big on equipment ... making you wonder if Joe Biden's love of the exercise bike might be at play.
According to federal procurement docs, obtained by TMZ, the government has spent upwards of $220,000 on Peloton bikes and other exercise equipment dating back to the summer of 2020 ... before President Biden took office.
Asked about his fitness routine by @katieglueck, Joe Biden says he works out everyday — he’s a Peloton bike user and he lifts. #IAcaucus 🚵♂️ pic.twitter.com/UP7W4KveXE
— Dylan Wells (@dylanewells) July 5, 2019 @dylanewells
In July 2020, the Air Force placed a large order for "Peloton Bicycles/Fitness Equipment" in the amount of $33,366.
Unclear how many bikes were delivered specifically, but considering that the bikes are more than $1,000 a pop, ya gotta figure it was a bunch of them. Later in September, the Agricultural Research Service placed a Peloton bike order for another $26k worth of the bikes.
Then, 2021 rolled around -- when Biden took office -- and it seems like the feds went Peloton crazy ... ordering north of $96,000 worth of Peloton-related fitness equipment, but including a bunch of stuff from Precor Inc. -- a big name in treadmills and exercise equipment that was acquired by Peloton back in December 2020.
A rep for the Air Force tells us they have fitness centers on all of their bases, that include Pelotons and other workout equipment. They said the centers are "critical to the readiness of our airmen."
In the docs, the FBI said their Peloton equipment was for "training aids."
WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki won’t say whether President Biden brought his Peloton bike to the White House. pic.twitter.com/7gB9sippOK
— The Recount (@therecount) May 24, 2021 @therecount
Among the agencies who were trying to get their sweat on ... the Air Force (again), the Army and the FBI.
2022 was quite friendly to Peloton as well from within D.C. -- it looks like the government spend upwards of $64k on more Precor stuff ... this time between the Army and Immigration.
It's no secret JB is a fan of Peloton -- he's copped to working out on one regularly ... but it became a flashpoint early in his administration as there were cybersecurity concerns from the built-in mics and cams. Officials had suggested he leave it in Delaware post-November 2020.
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Lucky Charms FDA Investigating Reports of Illness ... Making People Sick?!?
Scores of people say they've fallen ill after eating a bowl of Lucky Charms ... and now the feds are investigating the popular cereal.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday the agency is looking into the hundreds of reports from folks who told them they got sick after eating the General Mills product.
The FDA says more than 100 people have complained about Lucky Charms through the agency's reporting system ... and that's not even counting the more than 3,000 folks who went to iwaspoinsed.com and claimed they recently got sick after eating the cereal.
Of course ... Lucky Charms, marketed as "magically delicious," is a frosted toasted oat cereal with marshmallows, and it's widely available across the country. The packaging says the cereal "contains bioengineered food ingredients" and brags about being gluten-free.
People claiming Lucky Charms is making them sick say they suffered from diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting and nausea ... just to name a few.
General Mills says it's aware of the reports and claims an internal investigation found no evidence linking Lucky Charms to the reported illnesses.
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Russian Warship Seen Sinking on Video ... After Ukrainian Missile Strike
A Russian warship that underwent a Ukrainian missile strike can now be seen on video going down -- and it seems clear ... way more passengers died than the Kremlin's letting on.
The flagship, dubbed Moskva, sank last week somewhere in the Black Sea off the coast of Odesa -- but it was somewhat unclear how exactly the massive vessel ended up going down ... at least if you were listening to how Putin and co. were explaining it.
According to Russian forces, there was an ammunition fire that broke out onboard -- and that, they say, is what led to the ship heading underwater ... but Ukraine has said differently from the beginning, and now these images seem to confirm their account.
Ukrainian officials had said they blew the damn thing up with a couple of their missiles -- this as the Russian army started to encroach from the sea in their latest effort to bombard their neighboring country.
It would appear their efforts failed miserably ... because the Moskva -- which was Russia's largest warship to be deployed against Ukraine to date -- clearly lost a good handful of the 500 or so crew members that are reported to have been manning it at the time.
It's the latest blow to Putin's war effort ... as Ukraine, once again, proves they're more than capable of holding their own -- assuming they continue getting reinforcements and supplies from allies, including the U.S.
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Harry and Meghan We're All About the Invictus Games!!!
Harry and Meghan were all about the Invictus Games Saturday ... this after 2 years of delays.
The Prince and Dutchess were front and center at The Hague, Netherlands ... they were scheduled for 2020, but the pandemic put a stop to that. The thought was 2021 would work, but again, the COVID sidelined the plans.
They attended a soiree for the athletes Friday night, and then on Saturday enjoyed the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge which was the roll-up to the opening ceremony.
You may recall ... H&M went official at the Invictus Games in Toronto back in 2017. Although she's a U.S. citizen, she was living in Toronto where she filmed "Suits."
Harry came up with the idea of the Games back in 2014 ... when he served in the British Army and had 2 stints in Afghanistan. He wanted to do something to honor the soldiers who were wounded in service.
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WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki *IF* I Were to Leave ... Some Advice for My Replacement
Jen Psaki may or may not be leaving her post at the podium, but if she does ... she's got a few nuggets of knowledge to pass on to whomever might replace her, and they're not bad.
The White House Press Secretary sat down with 'Pod Save America' this week and was asked, hypothetically speaking ... what advice would she offer to someone who might be coming to fill her shoes? Again, assuming she exits -- and rumor has it, she will soon.
Psaki actually opened quite a bit on this front ... as she's clearly learned a lot of the job over the past year-plus that she's carried the torch for President Biden and his administration.
For starters, she says whoever gets the gig next has to realize ... the American people aren't stupid, and you don't have to speak to them like they're grade-schoolers. Psaki says folks are paying attention and quite knowledgeable -- so a Press Sec.'s words should reflect that.
She also says the best PS has a wide breadth of knowledge about what they're discussing with the press, and aren't just reading off talking points. So in other words, know you're s***!
Finally, she says a Press Secretary has to be patient with reporters, who undoubtedly ask the same questions a million different ways. It's also important to be consistent with messaging ... otherwise, as she says, you'll be taken out of context and made out to be Satan.
The last thing Psaki suggests is that ... if you don't know, don't pretend to know -- especially since you're literally speaking for the President and co. She says the best way to be good at the job is to have the lowdown on what POTUS may think on any given issue.
To her credit, Psaki's held her own fairly well thus far ... despite a pretty up and down first year in office. If she does bounce, here's hoping her replacement heeds her words here!
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PRINCE HARRY & MEGHAN MARKLE We're Ready For The Invictus Games!!!
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reached their destination after a layover in London to meet with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles ... they're in the Netherlands for a famous sporting event.
Harry and Meghan just arrived at The Hague, where they were all smiles Friday for a reception ahead of the start of the Invictus Games.
The couple, who are not traveling with kids Archie and Lilibet, both wore suits as they mixed and mingled with other distinguished guests ... and it looks like folks were lining up to meet Harry and Meghan.
As we reported ... the pair stopped in England to meet with Harry's father and grandmother on their way from Los Angels to the Netherlands ... with the face-to-face meeting a clear attempt to smooth things over after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family, and the infamous Oprah interview.
With the family business out of the way, Harry and Meghan look ready for the fun part, the Invictus Games ... an international sporting event for injured, wounded and sick servicemen and women, including veterans and those still serving.
Harry founded the event back in 2014, and the games are back on after being postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic.
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Prez Biden's Dog Major White House Downplayed Viciousness ... Dog Attacked 8 Times, Once Severely
President Biden's dog, Major, was involved in a "minor" biting incident -- so claimed the White House -- but some angry Secret Service agents are calling BS.
You'll recall, Press Secretary Jen Psaki told the media in March 2021, there was a single incident where Major "was surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual."
Well, a Freedom of Information request produced documents that tell a much different, more serious story about Major. The victim of the attack was outraged at Psaki's comments, saying, "NO, I didn't surprise the dog doing my job by being at [redacted] as the Press Secretary just said. Now I'm pissed."
It gets worse. An agent who saw photos of the bite said the "injury cannot be described in any other terms than 'severe.'"
Here's a Secret Service agent's account of the incident that occurred in the resident's quarters of the White House ..."Without warning or provocation, Major barked loudly at [the agent] ... and charged." The agent was bitten in the leg.
Turns out the same agent was bitten a second time. Not only that ... according to the documents, Major bit someone 8 days in a row.
The Secret Service agent who was bitten twice actually wanted the Bidens to pay for his torn coat. No word on whether the Bidens forked over the cash.
The agent in question was actually reprimanded by a superior for writing too graphic an account of the incidents. The superior wrote, "Please submit with the language that has been approved by [the legal office]. Unless you dispute anything in the verbiage that was presented to you, there shouldn't be a need to embellish with additional details that aren't required for approval."
There's another email in which the superior calls the victim's verbiage "inappropriate."
The White House has not commented on the newly-released docs.
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War in Ukraine Dock You Putin ... Largest Superyacht in World Seized
A Russian superyacht nearly 2 times the length of a football field is now in the hands of Germany after being seized as a consequence of Russian's attack on Ukraine.
The yacht is owned by Gulbakhor Ismailova, the sister of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, one of Russian's richest citizens and a close advisor to Putin, particularly on economic issues.
The yacht is beyond ... 512-feet long, with just about every bell and whistle imaginable, including an 80-foot pool and not 1 but 2 helipads. It cost more than $648 million.
The Yacht -- named Dilbar -- is now impounded in a Hamburg, Germany shipyard.
The yacht is flagged in the Caymans and registered to a company in Malta ... this is the drill followed by many of the super rich.
Other expensive toys of Russian oligarchs have been seized, including yachts and private jets, but Dilbar may be the crown jewel.
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President Biden When 💩 Hits the Fan ... Or Rather, When It Hits the Suit!!!
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President Biden's having a crappy day -- just as he was trying to make a very serious point about inflation and the economy ... a bird decided to drop a deuce right on his fancy suit.
JB was delivering a speech Tuesday in Menlo, Iowa -- within what he described as a barn of some sort -- where POTUS was talking about infrastructure, inflation and figuring out a way to lower costs for Americans ... all in the framework of the farming industry.
While he was talking about seeing the work they do there and giving these folks praise, something fell down from above -- and it wasn't a little miracle ... it was fowl poo.
Indeed ... a little white thing splashes onto his left shoulder and leaves its splattered mark, but the Prez didn't seem to notice -- and in the moment, it didn't appear too many others did either. Unfortunately, eagle-eyed viewers watching at home definitely saw it clear as day.
Bummer that Joe was in the line of fire here ... you'd think they'd clear the place out of any feathered critters fluttering around up in the rafters -- because Mother Nature doesn't discriminate when it comes to defecation.
As we've seen ... even the most rich and famous among us are worthy targets. Heads up!
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IG Model Liziane Gutierrez Returns From Ukraine ... Summons Help to Collect Bodies
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Instagram model Liziane Gutierrez has made it back to the U.S. from Ukraine, but says conditions in the country are desperate ... with volunteers needed to help collect bodies.
Gutierrez -- who is Brazilian-born -- spent nearly a month between Poland and Ukraine where she helped deliver medicine and transport families out of the war-torn nation.
She says lately there's been an influx of Ukrainians attempting to get back to their homes, but warns it's still far too dangerous. A video obtained by TMZ shows lines of cars sitting at the Poland/Ukraine border trying to get back home.
What's most disturbing ... Liziane tells us organizations are now asking for volunteers to help collect bodies from cities decimated by Russian attacks -- including Bucha.
Hundreds of bodies -- some burned and with their hands tied -- are strewn throughout Bucha in what is undeniably a war crime.
Gutierrez says she's happy to be back home, with plans to return to help, but says it's far from over ... and the more attention and funds brought to Ukraine, the more they can continue to fight.
As for why a Brazilian is jumping into the fray, Liziane didn't feel donating money was enough.
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Dee Snider & Kid Rock On Opposite Ends of Politics ... Embrace Or Stiff-Arm GOP
As pop culture continues to clash with our political landscape, so too has rock and roll -- leaving Kid Rock and Dee Snider on opposite ends of the line drawn in the sand.
First, KR ... who's made it known, in no uncertain terms, he's a conservative -- and a big supporter of Donald Trump. No surprise on that front ... but what is surprising is the fact Rock was able to snag a cameo from 45 in a pre-show message -- which is ... interesting.
Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.
The Kid's on tour right now ... and a new viral video shows that he's apparently opening his concerts with a pre-recorded message from DT himself -- and the guy's audience loves it.
Trump starts out with, "Hello, everyone ... I love you all. I know you're having a great time at the Kid Rock concert tonight. Quite frankly, he's amazing. All of you in attendance are the great backbone of our country -- hard-working, God-fearing, rock and roll patriots."
Trump also pokes fun at Kid's golf game, but says he's a great entertainer ... and then says "Let's Make America Rock Again," with a MAGA hat. KR took the stage right after that and performed. As you know, they're tight ... but the Trump plug's still sorta impressive.
Then comes Dee Snider ... whom some in the GOP might've *thought* was a bastion of conservatism -- but were proven wrong this weekend by the guy himself, hilariously so.
You think i wrote a song in support of "traditional American values"? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! You funny. https://t.co/G34e1zcFrC
— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) April 9, 2022 @deesnider
A republican named Jerrod Sessler -- who's running for Congress -- tweeted he was bummed to learn Dee was behind some liberal policies ... despite the fact that his Twisted Sister song, "We're Not Gonna Take It," made him think he was all about traditional American values.
Unclear why this dude might've believed the TW tune was in any way a theme song for conservatism, but Dee fired back ... "You think i wrote a song in support of 'traditional American values'? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! You funny."
Dee followed up by pointing out some telling lyrics in the song itself, saying ... "The first line of my song is WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE! Can I count you amongst us pro-choice people? Now that's a Republican I can support!"
Sessler responded, kinda getting holier than thou ... "Do you think the folks that wrote the Bible knew that God was writing through them? I doubt it. I believe God can even use @deesnider and his hair for good! BTW - nice flag"
Do you think the folks that wrote the Bible knew that God was writing through them? I doubt it. I believe God can even use @deesnider and his hair for good! BTW - nice flag #AmericaFirst https://t.co/kv99tp4SJ6
— Jerrod Sessler 🇺🇸 Republican for Congress - WA (@Sessler) April 9, 2022 @Sessler
He ended by saying they were on the same page on the issue of abortion (they're obviously not) by tweeting, "@deesnider we are in sync! I am fully and thoroughly pro-choice. I believe life begins at conception and every baby should be given the opportunity to choose."
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Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Pictured In First Official Portrait
Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson is officially a U.S. Supreme Court Justice ... and now she's got the portrait to prove she's made history.
As we reported, Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to serve on the highest court Thursday ... making her the first-ever Black woman to hold the position. Photographer Lelanie Foster had the honor of capturing Justice Brown Jackson's first portrait ... showing the judge in a black dress, blazer staring off and up and standing in front of a backdrop.
The first official portrait of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 8, 2022 @Phil_Lewis_
(Photo: Lelanie Foster) pic.twitter.com/Yjdcf0JrAY
As we've told you, President Biden nominated Judge Brown Jackson back in February, but she first had to undergo tough grilling from Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz and others, during her confirmation hearings.
She was finally confirmed on Thursday ... with the tally coming down to 53-47 in her favor.
4/8/22
On Friday she celebrated the moment, saying ... "As I take on this new role, I strongly believe that this is a moment in which all Americans take great pride."
She will be sworn in at the end of this term, sometime in June ... and will officially take the bench on the first Monday of October.
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Dr. JILL BIDEN SECURITY DETAIL OFFERED Gifts ... From Alleged Fake Federal Agents!!!
Members of Jill Biden's security detail are under investigation after they were offered lavish gifts from 2 men allegedly posing as federal agents ... and prosecutors say those gifts included firearms and rent-free apartments.
The 2 men, Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali, were arrested Wednesday in D.C. and charged with impersonating federal law enforcement agents -- prosecutors claim they posed as Department of Homeland Security agents, and then tried to hook up the First Lady's Secret Service agents.
Taherzadeh allegedly offered a $2,000 assault rifle to one of Dr. Biden's agents -- and now 4 of her agents are on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Prosecutors claim the federal posers also lavished Secret Service agents and a real DHS employee with iPhones, a drone, a flat screen TV, a generator, an assault rifle storage case, surveillance systems and law enforcement equipment.
Prosecutors says one Secret Service agent, who was assigned to the protect the White House, lived rent-free in a 3-bedroom luxury apartment provided by Taherzadeh ... where the rent typically runs more than $48,000 a year.
The FBI says Taherzadeh and Ali pretended to be agents from a fake DHS task force investigating violence at the Jan. 6 riots ... and the feds say the men used insignias and firearms used by federal agents to keep up the act.
Prosecutors believe the men were posing as agents "to ingratiate themselves with members of federal law enforcement and the defense community."
The alleged impostor act began to unravel last month, when a U.S. Postal Inspector looked into a possible assault on a letter carrier at the apartment complex where Taherzadeh lived, with the men allegedly identifying themselves as members of the non-existent task force.
FBI agents raided the building Wednesday, leading to the suspects' arrests.
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Judge Ketanji Jackson Confirmed as Supreme Court Justice ... First African-American Woman to Join
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Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is officially confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court ... making history as the first Black woman ever to hold the position.
Ketanji's confirmation means she will officially replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the highest court. Senate Republicans Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski all joined Democrats in voting to confirm.
Voting was at 53-47 in favor -- Senator Rand Paul was the last to cast his vote.
President Biden nominated Judge Brown Jackson back in February, but during her confirmation hearing she was drilled with questions from Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz and others.
Things got emotional for Judge Brown Jackson during the hearing when Senator Cory Booker let her know, as a Black person, how proud he was of her accomplishments and how many obstacles she had to face to get to the position.
As we told you, Justice Brown Jackson is the first African-American woman to be on the court, and the second African-American to join the current Justices. Justice Clarence Thomas is African-American, and currently going through his own drama outside the bench.
We got footage of Reverend Al Sharpton and Hillary Clinton celebrating the confirmation at an event in New York today.
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Kirsten Bloom Allen Ballerina Helps Ukrainian Dancer-Turned-Soldier 'Artists Helping Artists'
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Ballerina Kirsten Bloom Allen is pulling off the near-impossible ... getting life-saving supplies to a fellow dancer in Ukraine, who's been forced to put aside his true passion so he can defend his country.
Oleksii Potiomkin says he wanted to help his fellow Ukrainians and protect his family at all costs, but supplies were scarce. When he and Kirsten joined us Wednesday on TMZ Live, she explained why she refused to sit by idly while a fellow dancer was in need.
Kirsten tells us she reached out to Oleksii online -- they knew each other through dance -- and they created a list of things needed for the Hospitallers, a volunteer paramedic group he joined that tends to Ukraine's wounded soldiers.
Kirsten says she shipped the supplies to another ballet dancer in Amsterdam, who took them through Poland and to Oleksii in Ukraine. Now, she's launched a fundraiser, hoping to get more supplies into the country such as medical supplies and food.
Oleksii tells us this war is forcing people from all walks of life to step up and fight for the cause. He started helping people on his own with medicine and aid, even before joining the Hospitallers.
Heroic and inspirational -- both fitting words for what Oleksii and Kristen are doing to protect Ukraine, and to help others heal.
Kirsten is asking anyone wanting to donate to head to her website, kirstenbloomallen.com