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Barack and Michelle Obama are back in the White House ... this time forever.

The former president and first lady returned to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Wednesday to unveil their new presidential portraits, which will adorn the White House walls along with their counterparts.

Barack was in a great mood, making everyone laugh and smile ... remarking on how "fine" his wife looks in her portrait.

While Barack mostly kept it fun, Michelle made a powerful speech. She says the Obama portraits -- a biracial kid with an unusual name, and the daughter of a water pump operator and stay-at-home mom -- serve as a reminder there's a place for everyone in America.

Barack and Michelle want the paintings to inspire folks from all walks of life ... they say if the Obamas made it to the White House, so too can anyone.

A top secret document detailing a foreign government's nuclear capabilities and military defense systems was among hundreds of classified materials seized by the Feds during the Trump Mar-a-Lago raid last month, this according to a new report.

The Washington Post, citing "sources familiar with the search," published the stunning revelation Tuesday, but the name of the foreign government was kept under wraps. Some of the documents recovered by the FBI at Trump's Palm Beach estate are guarded so closely that they require special clearances to view, the WaPo reported.

And, in some cases, the President himself must sign off before a government official can gain access to the classified documents, which are made available on a need-to-know basis. Fewer than a couple dozen government officials are reportedly allowed access to the documents, which are placed in a compartmented information facility under lock and key.

The feds raided Mar-a-Lago August 8 and seized 184 classified documents after months of haggling with Trump and his lawyers over their return to the government. The feds have so far recovered over 320 classified documents from Trump.

The big question ... what did Trump intend to do with the documents?

45 took the top-secret documents from the White House after he lost the election and stored them at Mar-a-Lago. The FBI found some of the sensitive materials inside Trump's desk and in a basement where visitors had wandered around. Federal agents are looking into how the documents could have compromised national security.

Meghan Markle's first speech in the UK since stepping away from her Royal duties was one full of uplifting messages ... including a special shout-out to the youth.

The Duchess of Sussex delivered the keynote address Monday at the One Young World summit in Manchester, where activists get together to talk about solutions for global problems -- including climate change-related issues -- in a think tank/networking capacity.

As for what exactly she had to say, well ... check it out for yourself. MM directly speaks to the young folks in the room -- telling them that they're not just the future, but the present.

She also mentions her son, Archie, and says she's learned to see the world from his POV -- seeing how he's got perhaps the freshest set of eyes in her immediate orbit. Her daughter, Lilibet, is just one year old -- so no hot takes from her at this point.

Meghan also name-dropped her husband, Prince Harry, indirectly by saying she was happy he could tag along. That got a big applause from the crowd when the camera cut to him in the audience.

It seems Meg and Harry have been warmly received across the pond ... their second time over there this year, with their first obviously being at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration.

Back then things were clearly tense between the Sussexes and the Royals, and despite the friendly reception in Manchester ... there's no evidence that's changed.

Reports say there've been no plans made between Harry and his brother, William, to connect at all while he's in town -- which is telling, seeing how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are just down the road from where Meghan and Harry are staying.

Marjorie Taylor Greene has a lot of people thinking she might've flexed her pipes on 'American Idol' once upon a time -- based on a viral video -- but the speculation is bogus.

The Georgia Representative is getting talked about on Twitter right now, but not for the usual political reasons. This time it's about an old 'Idol' clip from Season 1 that's making the rounds ... showing a rambunctious woman's audition in front of Simon, Paula and Randy.

The lady's name is listed as Stefanie Sugarman, who told producers at the time ('02), that she was 23 and from Alta Loma, CA (Rancho Cucamonga area). Her tryout certainly left an impression with audiences and the judges alike ... not necessarily in a good way either.

SS was eliminated after singing 'Knockin' Da Boots' and some colorful commentary. Like we said, she's a feisty one -- but more importantly, she's also a dead ringer for MTG.

That's certainly what Twitter thinks, anyway, with many jumping the gun and suggesting this is, in fact, Rep. Greene performing under a stage name. We'll admit, they do look incredibly similar ... and they're both quite outspoken, it seems. Thing is, Stefanie Sugarman is real!

We looked her up, and public records show there is actually a Stefanie Sugarman with roots in Rancho/Alta Loma and San Bernardino County generally. She seems to have married since -- now going under a different last name -- and her age matches up too. She's now 43.

The Justice Department has released a more detailed accounting of what was discovered at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club, but it's perhaps what was apparently missing from the property that is most concerning.

According to a new release Friday, FBI agents who searched the property came across several empty folders labeled as "classified."

The inventory list doesn't detail specifically what exactly the classified and other documents seized pertained to, but just the general terms of the 33 boxes taken from the property.

The AP reports, "43 empty folders with classified banners were taken from a box or container at the office, along with an additional 28 empty folders labeled as 'Return to Staff Secretary' or military aide. Empty folders of that nature were also found in a storage closet."

The newly released report does not state a reason for why any of the folders may have been empty.

The Vice President of Argentina came within an inch of her life, but not for lack of trying on the part of a would-be assassin.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was on her way home, surrounded by numerous supporters, but among them was a 35-year-old Brazilian with a loaded gun.

The man pointed the gun at her head and pulled the trigger ... a gun with 5 bullets in the chamber. The gun misfired, avoiding all-but-certain death.

You see Fernandez disoriented during the attempt ... she appears to duck down and attempt to grab something. Her supporters tried to block the gunman as he stood face-to-face with her.

The Veep is safe, but not out of the woods ... she was actually returning home from court, where she's on trial for corruption -- a charge she denies.

The gunman was. arrested. So far, no motive has been disclosed.

President Biden's student debt forgiveness policy has ruffled feathers across the political spectrum -- but Rep. Ilhan Omar says ... turn that frown upside down!

We got the Minnesota congresswoman at Ronald Reagan National Airport and asked what she made about the Debbie Downers who are pissed over JB wiping out millions of dollars in loans for countless Americans ... despite many who've paid their debt fair and square.

Watch ... Rep. Omar tells us that those folks simply need to look at this situation with a glass-half-full mentality -- namely, being grateful they could take care of their sitch, and happy others are getting the chance to do the same ... even if it's through a free ride.

The way she puts it -- just because we aren't burdened doesn't mean we shouldn't help those who are. Essentially, it's the greater good argument repackaged with a nice bow.

Of course, there are many who probably won't take that medicine sitting down ... but it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done, and the President has spoken -- upwards of $10,000 per person is going to be cleared from the books whether the public likes it or not.

We know many in conservative circles -- including guys like Sen. Ted Cruz -- aren't happy about this ... but it goes beyond just left and right-wing ideology. Cruz said this could have ramifications come election time -- in favor of Dems -- which concerns him greatly.

An eye-popping image of highly sensitive government documents recovered by the FBI during the Mar-a-Lago raid was released Tuesday night ... as the feds accused the 45th President of "likely" trying to obstruct their investigation by hiding the materials.

The stunning photo was part of a new 36-page Department of Justice filing and showed what appeared to be dozens of documents marked "Top Secret" and "Secret" strewn across a floor inside Donald Trump's mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

In the filing, the DOJ said government docs kept in a storage facility at Mar-a-Lago were "likely concealed and removed from the storage room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government's investigation." And several of these docs were found in Trump's desk.

So far, the feds say they have reclaimed over 320 classified docs from Mar-a-Lago, and more than 100 of them were snagged during the FBI search on August 8.

The DOJ's latest filing came in opposition to Trump's formal request to appoint a special master to review the documents removed from Mar-a-Lago. The feds argue that Trump has pushed an "incomplete and inaccurate narrative" and they needed to correct the record with this latest filing.

As you know, FBI agents swarmed Mar-a-Lago earlier this month while executing a search warrant to get back hundreds of classified documents Trump allegedly took from the White House after he lost the election.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union who was largely responsible for ending the Cold War, has died.

Gorbachev was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 - 1991. His title changed to President in 1990.

He was initially a Marxist-Leninist, but eventually realized his country needed to evolve into a more democratic union.

Maybe the most famous reference to Gorbachev was one where he was not present -- when Ronald Reagan paid a visit to the Berlin wall -- which separated the Communist East Berlin from the democratic West Berlin -- and challenged his counterpart to "tear down this wall."

Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his role in ending the Cold War.

His rise was spectacular -- raised by peasant parents, he climbed the political ladder to the top.

Gorbachev was Kennedy-esque in the sense he was a vibrant leader with a very glamorous wife -- Raisa -- who was a fashionista in the same vein as Jackie Kennedy.

He had a very distinct, large birthmark on his forehead ... it was quite prominent, and on occasion, when he sat for an official photo, the birthmark was removed for the portrait.

By 1991, the Soviet Union had broken apart and Gorbachev stepped down and handed the mantle of power to Boris Yeltsin.

Meghan Markle drawing a parallel between her marriage to Prince Harry and Nelson Mandela's prison release is pissing off a lot of people ... especially Mandela's grandson.

To be fair, The Duchess of Sussex says it was someone else who made the comparison, but going public with it is blowing up in her face.

She recently told The Cut -- she's the cover story -- about an exchange she had at the 2019 London premiere of the live-action "Lion King" film ... claiming a South African cast member told her, "When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison."

Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson, doubts that conversation ever happened, though ... telling Daily Mail his grandfather's celebration was "based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa. So, It cannot be equated to as the same."

As you know, under Apartheid rule, Mandela served 27 years in prison for sabotage and treason before his release ... and Mandla doesn't think South Africa's joy for that event can be fairly compared to Meghan marrying into royalty.

Meghan spilled a lot during her recent interview ... including her eventual return to Instagram after having to give up her personal account due to royal control.

She says, "Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child?”

She doesn't point fingers at any specific person or moment, though.

Pete Buttigieg feels people's pain when their flights get canceled last-minute ... and his team at the Department of Transportation wants people to know they're entitled to some serious green during those annoying situations.

The Transportation Secretary joined us on "TMZ Live" to chat about the DOT's new system, which is aimed at picking up the pieces for travelers when the airlines keep the deets vague regarding cancelations.

The soon-to-come dashboard will help customers determine if they're owed cash when their flight gets delayed or canceled -- something he claims airlines have failed to make obvious.

President Joe Biden canceling student debt could win him and other Dems votes in November and beyond -- something Senator Ted Cruz is well aware of ... in hilarious terms.

The legislator from Texas was firing away on his podcast, "The Verdict with Ted Cruz," over JB's decision to dish out upwards of $20k for free to people with outstanding loans -- under certain parameters, of course ... saying it could have a significant impact politically.

Watch ... TC says, yeah -- it could get a certain demographic of the Democratic party off their asses and out at polling places for the midterms ... but he makes that point with some jabs.

He says the "slacker baristas" who wasted years at college with nothing to show for it now are probably ecstatic over this news -- and he worries they may even pay Joe back in key votes for both 2022 and 2024 ... assuming they put the bong down and remember to do it.

It's pretty funny that this is who Cruz thinks this will be affected ... hippy-dippy losers working at Dunkin' -- it's just such an outdated caricature. Anyway, his point is well taken.

While Biden's student loan forgiveness is being celebrated by many, it's also receiving a lot of criticism ... with some noting that the financial burden it creates falls on tax payers, not to mention screwing people who, in the past, already paid their debts fair and square.

He and his cabinet members, including the Sec. of Education Miguel Cardona, addressed that last week -- with their argument essentially boiling down to ... tough luck, this is for the greater good.

Donald Trump Jr. made a dick joke to show his disdain for the redacted FBI affidavit that triggered the search of Mar-a-Lago, but he seems to be saying in the process he doesn't care if national secrets or the lives of people mentioned in the redactions are compromised.

Junior posted a pic of his dad on a golf course with a big black bar over his groin, with the caption, "redact this!!!" He had posted earlier Friday he thought the level of redactions was ridiculous.

Thing is ... the Justice Dept. made it clear, and the judge agreed -- the affidavit referenced documents Trump took from The White House, some of which had the highest security classifications, and releasing information describing them could jeopardize national security and put the lives of various people mentioned at risk.

Jr. may be trying to take people's eye off the ball, or in his dad's case the balls, but the real issue is this -- why did Donald Trump want those documents?

John Waters, one of the most interesting and line-pushing talents in Hollywood, joked on "Real Time" Friday night that he's become so respectable, he wants to gag!

Waters was hysterical with Bill Maher, pitching his new book, "Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance." For the uninitiated, Waters wrote, directed and/or produced some of the most out-there movies in history, including "Hairspray," "Serial Mom" and "Pink Flamingos."

It's pretty incredible ... John says the National Registry has named "Pink Flamingos" -- a movie where the main character eats a dump for all to see -- one of the great American films. Fact is ... it's a fantastic flick, and this year marks its 50th anniversary.

The Motion Picture Academy has created an exhibition around Waters' works. He says he's looking for something Divine -- the enduring character he created -- wore ... a "cheater." A cheater, for those who don't know, is a contraption with fake pubic hair. He's on the hunt for someone who has it, and would love to put it in the exhibition near Dorothy's ruby red slippers!!!

The Justice Department just released a redacted version of the Donald Trump Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit in which it claimed to have probable cause to search the estate and seize classified information that the former President allegedly unlawfully maintained.

According to the affidavit, the FBI believed it had probable cause based on documents Trump had previously provided to the National Archives. A review of those materials showed Trump had taken with him from the White House "highly classified records," including 25 documents marked "TOP SECRET." The FBI claims Trump produced many of the documents "unfoldered, intermixed with other records."

The FBI believed, however, based on information obtained from witnesses that there were significant additional documents he had not turned over. The names and information provided by those witnesses are redacted from the affidavit that's been released publicly, so it's impossible to know exactly what information the FBI acted upon.

Since the Mar-a-Lago raid, The DOJ and Trump had been duking it out publicly over the release of the search warrant affidavit, which laid out the government's case for probable cause that a crime was committed.

Trump initially told the media he supported the DOJ release of the warrant -- unredacted. Trump's lawyers, however, never made the argument in court, instead remaining mum on whether or not the affidavit should be released.

In his court order Thursday, Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart ordered the affidavit released, but sided with the DOJ allowing it to redact significant portions of the affidavit because "disclosure would reveal the identities of witnesses, law enforcement agents, and uncharged parties."

Dozens of FBI agents executed the warrant on August 8, descending on Mar-a-Lago and carting away dozens of boxes of potentially classified documents Trump took from the White House after losing the election.

Court documents revealed the boxes contained 11 sets of classified records -- some marked top secret and "sensitive compartmented information". Trump blasted the FBI on his Truth Social platform, grousing that during the search, agents had broken into his safe and searched Melania's closet, leaving it a "mess."

The day he left office, 45 took the boxes of sensitive materials with him back to Mar-a-Lago. Since then, he and his lawyers have been in a tug of war of sorts with the National Archives and Records Administration over the return of the documents to the government.

President Biden's move to let millions of Americans off the hook for student loan debt is certainly drawing some controversy -- but a key cabinet member says it's more positive than not.

U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona joined us on "TMZ Live" right on the heels of his boss's big announcement -- and broke down exactly what it means for all Americans.

As the Prez said -- and as Secretary Cardona reiterates here -- anyone who's taken out a federal loan and makes less than $125,000/year is eligible for at least $10,000 of forgiveness. If you've taken out a federal Pell Grant, you could receive an additional $10k discount.

Dr. Cardona tells us that equates to 43 million Americans who can get relief ... and about half of those can have their student debt wiped out entirely. That way they can get on with their lives and finally be out of a huge hole that might've otherwise hindered their economic goals.

There are surely many who are celebrating this news ... and, yes, there are countless people who have been stifled because of crippling, seemingly never-ending student loan debt.

However, critics are asking, "What about all those folks who've paid off their debt already, or who didn't take on any debt to begin with?" There's also the premise of students with high-paying degrees, who'll make a fortune later, being able to exploit this new system now.

Prez Biden addressed that Wednesday, and essentially it seems to boil down to, tough luck. His Secretary of Education elaborates a bit, though, telling us he understands the concern ... but that this move is going to help more people in need than those who really aren't.