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Donald Trump's lawyer thinks there's a benefit to the former President getting indicted in New York City ... she says it puts him on par with Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.

Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, drew the comparison on "The Benny Show" podcast, claiming the indictment is going to boost Trump's profile similar to other celebs who went to jail ... like Pac and Biggie.

Personally, Alina says Trump is more like Biggie Smalls than Tupac ... but it sounds like there's an East Coast bias at play.

Anyway, the way Team Trump sees it ... Donald is his own brand and "he is everything" ... so the indictment will only make him more popular.

Trump's attorney believes the Pac and Biggie effect is already happening ... Alina says her boss is way up in the polls and she's calling on other Republican presidential candidates, like Nikki Haley, to drop out of the race now and get behind Trump.

Meanwhile, Trump just left Mar-a-Lago and is on his way to NYC, where he's facing more than 30 counts of business-related fraud ... stemming from his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to shut her trap about a supposed affair.

We covered it all in a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene sat down with "60 Minutes" -- something that has drawn the ire of some Dems -- but like it or not she now has power, and Lesley Stahl seemed incredulous as Greene doubled down on her view that Democrats are a party of pedophiles.

Greene points the finger at President Biden, claiming he backs "children being sexualized" by supporting transgender surgeries. Lesley's SHOCKED, but goes on to ask if she'd be able to do away with the name-calling while fighting her fight -- the response is ironic.

Lesley also put the Georgia Rep. on the spot by bringing up a comment she once liked on Facebook -- referring to Nancy Pelosi getting a bullet to the head -- she quickly denies that interaction, claiming she's not involved with everything presented on her social channels.

And check out her response to past comments the Parkland school shooting was fake.

Malia Obama is hittin' the streets of NYC with close family friends -- people with whom she has a lot in common -- the next generation of Bidens.

The oldest daughter of the former prez was out and about Sunday in Manhattan with the current president's grandkids ... Maisy, Finnegan and little Beau Jr.

It looks like everyone was having a blast, strolling around the big city after grabbing lunch together at Charlie Bird. They all were snappin' pics of each other, too -- documenting fond memories, no doubt.

Malia, Maisy and Finnegan are all within a couple years of each other in age ... so, they grew up around each other when Barack Obama was prez and Biden was his veep.

One non-White House-connected member of the group was the guy next to Malia ... Tyler Patterson is a private equity associate at Boston real estate firm, Rockpoint. It's unclear if they're an item.

FYI -- she was reportedly linked to 33-year-old music producer Dawit Eklund last year, but dating rumors were never confirmed. We also saw her with a mystery man in L.A. back in August ... but, again, just unconfirmed dating rumors.

Former President Donald Trump's indictment should go down in history -- literally, as a national holiday ... at least, according to "Veep" actor Reid Scott.

We got Reid at LAX Friday, and we chatted with the former (fake) Deputy Director of Communications about Trump's legal trouble ... and he says he's on cloud 9 about the news.

Reid is concerned, however, about all the good it could do for D.T., with some speculating the attention pointed back could actually help mobilize his supporters and grab him a ton of votes. Regardless, Reid explains why he thinks Trump is more than deserving of getting indicted.

As we reported, Trump didn't look too bothered -- albeit a little preoccupied -- as he strolled out of Mar-a-Lago after dinner on Thursday following news of the indictment ... but Reid seems to think he's got reason to worry, and he tells us exactly why.

ICYMI -- Trump's facing more than 30 counts of business-related fraud -- stemming from his former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130K to keep her quiet about a supposed affair.

Rep. Don Beyer says AI technology has the potential to help save the human race ... and he thinks Elon Musk and others who say it's a threat are just trying to protect their assets.

We got the Congressman from Virginia on Capitol Hill and asked him about the Tesla honcho, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and 1,100 others sounding the alarm in an open letter about AI.

The way Don sees it ... Elon and co. are mostly just concerned with pumping the brakes on developing large-scale language models like ChatGPT ... and he thinks the tech giants are really just trying to stifle development from competitors now that they've created their own algorithms.

Don is taking graduate-level courses on AI for a machine learning master's degree from George Mason University ... and he says he sees potential for AI to solve huge problems in medicine, biology and engineering ... and he thinks the chatter about robots writing papers for folks is just distracting from AI's real possibilities.

Another reason the open letter -- which says AI has morphed into a "dangerous race that could imperil our very existence and thus merits a 6-month moratorium on AI development to assess the risks -- didn't sway Don ... he says opponents aren't explaining any specific risks or downside to A

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's nonprofit paid a pretty penny to the woman who used to run point on all things PR for Michelle Obama ... and some smell politics in the air.

The revelation surfaced in the Archewell Foundation's 2021 tax disclosure docs -- which appear to have just been posted in March ... and which the media perused over the weekend ... only to see MM and co. shelled out hundreds of thousands in strategic PR consulting.

A little over $215,000 was forked over to a company called Invisible Hand, which specializes in social impact and culture ... offering a wide variety of PR-related services on their menu.

What caught people's eye, however, was the $110k that was paid to a company called KMLSA -- a good old-fashioned PR agency based near San Diego, CA. The top dog at this org is none other than Katie Mccormick-Lelyveld ... who's directly tied to the Obamas.

Indeed ... she was actually Michelle's Press Secretary for a while, officially working for the former First Lady from 2007 to 2011. She's also provided PR work for Hillary Clinton in the past ... not to mention John Kerry -- both of whom are huge political titans obviously.

Her company, KML Strategic Advisors, touts itself this way ... "From the corporate war room to the media battlefield, the corner office to the White House, KML Strategic Advisors are your guides through rarified air." Considering her resume, that's pretty darn accurate.

Now, as for what documented purpose the Archewell Foundation paid these 2 agencies ... their tax disclosure keeps it vague, only citing "Strategic Support for Social Impact PR."

That could be interpreted a million different ways ... but some are digesting it as a potential signal that Meghan herself might be gearing up for public office -- and is hiring the best people in the biz to guide her. Of course, it could also just be related to their Royal drama.

We know Meg and Harry are knee-deep in their philanthropy work, and the PR consulting could easily be just about that as well. But, by the same token, we also know Meghan is all about causes -- and there's no better place to advocate and fight for those than D.C.

Time will tell, we suppose!

Sen. John Fetterman is opening up for the first time about his hospitalization for clinical depression -- and one of the major takeaways is ... he now has a hearing deficiency.

The Pennsylvania legislator -- who was just elected to the U.S. Senate this past November in a tight race against Dr. Oz -- talked to CBS on camera a couple days before he was discharged from Walter Reed in D.C. ... where he's been receiving treatment since February.

Fetterman was released from inpatient care on Friday, and now says he's in remission for his depression. Here in this interview, he goes on to explain that he's looking forward to making up for lost time ... especially with his family.

As it turns out, JF actually went into the hospital on his son's 14th birthday -- a memory that brought him to tears ... as he didn't want his kid to remember that moment with this.

Unclear what sparked Fetterman's depression, but it sounds like he'd battled it for years ... even before he ran for the open PA Senate seat. The news report also suggests his stroke from last year -- which has affected his ability to communicate -- might've played a part.

One big revelation ... Fetterman says, at one point, he was indifferent about living or dying.

Another interesting nugget from this sit-down ... the Walter Reed docs have found a serious new hearing deficit in him, although it's not said explicitly if it's permanent or not. In any case, it sounds like Sen. Fetterman will continue using closed captioning devices for the time being -- which he'd already been doing since coming back from his stroke recovery.

President Biden is apparently skipping King Charles' coronation -- but there still might be a U.S. presence in the stands ... and it could be one of his two favorite ladies.

The Telegraph broke the news Friday ... reporting that they've been told by their Buckingham Palace sources that the King and co. were recently made aware of JB's intentions -- namely, not being in attendance as one of the many heads of state that are scheduled to show up.

That doesn't mean there won't be someone on his behalf, though. Per the UK outlet, he's mulling sending either his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, or his Veep ... Kamala Harris.

In addition to Jill/Kamala, there'll also be a formal U.S. delegation -- which will presumably include ambassadors, diplomats and other personnel ... the White House has said they'll announce those names in the coming weeks.

As for why Joe's bailing ... the word is, he has prior commitments -- although it's unclear what exactly. Here's the thing, the Telegraph reports it's no harm, no foul as far as Charles is concerned. In other words, he isn't taking it personally ... as no U.S. Prez has ever attended a British coronation, so it's not like POTUS is bucking tradition by failing to appear.

There's another thing to consider here, that some are reading into as it relates to Biden and his feelings about Charles and the monarchy at large -- perhaps he doesn't like 'em much.

There are reports that Biden's mother, who was of Irish descent, absolutely hated England (see history for why) ... which, if true, surely might've been communicated to Joe at some point. There's also the Harry and Meghan factor ... which could also be playing into this.

He's been pretty neutral on commenting about them -- but his ex-Press Sec., Jen Psaki, did publicly praise them for speaking up in the Oprah interview, saying JB felt that took courage.

In any case, Joe's gonna be a no-show.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scheduled to be the next big guest on "60 Minutes" this weekend ... and Twitter sure ain't happy about it.

The controversial Georgia congresswoman was tapped as one of the big interviews on the weekly magazine news program, with none other than Lesley Stahl taking on the challenge of talking to her on camera. The official "60 Minutes" account teased their time together.

Their description of MTG was weirdly flattering ... at least that's how many took it, and it left a lot of folks sour. "60 Minutes" writes of Rep. Greene, "Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, nicknamed MTG, isn’t afraid to share her opinions, no matter how intense and in-your-face they are. She sits down with Lesley Stahl this Sunday on 60 Minutes."

Of course, political pundits and journos on the bird app have been crying foul for the past 24 hours ... openly wondering why CBS would think it's a good idea to sit down with Greene.

The reason they're asking, of course, is because MTG has, at times, apparently shown support for the Jan. 6 insurrection, displayed transphobia, advocated for a new national secession ... and continued to support President Trump, among many other issues.

For her part, Greene actually signaled that the interview went well ... shouting out Stahl for being a trailblazer in journalism, and for giving her fair questions. MTG wrote, "It was an honor to spend a few days with the legendary icon Leslie (sic) Stahl and talented crew @60Minutes. Leslie (sic) is a trailblazer for women in journalism. And while we may disagree on some issues, I respect her greatly. Tune in tomorrow 7 pm ET on CBS."

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility ... and some of the biggest names in Hollywood and politics are using their voices to show support for members of the community.

President Biden proclaimed March 31, 2023, as Transgender Day of Visibility on Thursday from the White House ... furthering his message with a tweet Friday that read, in part, "Made in the image of God and deserving of dignity, respect, and support."

Demi Lovato, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and comedian Chelsea Handler -- who posted a video of support and took jabs at politicians in support of anti-trans legislation in the process -- were among some of the other celebs to put their voice behind the cause.

Jamie Lee Curtis retweeted a post from her 27-year-old transgender daughter's post with the caption "PROUD MOTHER". Ben McKee, bass player from Imagine Dragons, and Trans YouTube star Jazz Jennings also posted messages.

The growth of AI technology is going too far too quickly and dangerously -- at least, according to tech giants Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak ... who've joined a huge group of leaders asking developers to temporarily call it quits.

Musk, Wozniak and more than 1,100 others in the technology industry all signed an open letter from Future of Life Institute ... calling out developers of AI software, because they might not be aware of the "catastrophic" risks that can come with it.

The concerned leaders call the rapid growth a "dangerous race," and they're asking labs to take a 6-month break to allow for further risk assessment on AI. They're also asking the government to intervene if developers refuse to pause.

The signees go on to point out that competing AI labs are pushing hard to develop the best version out there, and might not be aware of what could come from it ... with the eerie possibility that AI could soon no longer need human interference to make its own decisions.

Others standing with Musk and Wozniak are Andrew Yang, the co-founder of Pinterest, professors from across the nation, and loads of AI researchers.

Keep in mind, Elon co-founded the company OpenAI, which created ChatGPT ... one of the leading AI programs currently available to the public. So, if HE wants to slow down AI, it's gotta make you think.

Gladys Knight's husband says President Biden straight up told them he didn't have 15 minutes to chat with them about what they see as a huge problem ... Black businesses being passed up for government contracts.

The singer and her husband, William McDowell, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and explained their experience trying to nail down a meeting with Biden ... which has so far proven impossible, much to their chagrin.

Remember ... Gladys has been trying to meet with Biden since 2021 -- she wants to get a government contract so her company can provide PPE to the public -- and her husband says he finally cornered Biden in the White House and was told the meeting wasn't going to happen.

Biden presented Gladys with the National Medal of Arts last week, but her husband says when he brought up the meeting to POTUS he was immediately shut down.

Gladys and William are adamant they're not looking for a government payday or handout here ... they say Biden's refusal to meet with them is an example of a much larger problem ... Black businesses continually coming in last for federal contracts, which they feel is a civil rights issue.

It's a problem Gladys says is not unique to Biden, though ... she says the feds have always been unfair to Black business owners, dating back to when JFK was in office ... at least in her experience.

The issue here though ... Gladys and William say the Biden Administration is talking about wanting to create a level playing field, but actions aren't backing up words.

Orlando Bloom made a surprise appearance in Ukraine over the weekend and even popped in for a meeting with leader Volodymyr Zelensky at the Presidential Palace.

Bloom traveled for three days through the war-torn country still under siege by the Russian military while performing his duties as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF -- the United Nations org that provides international humanitarian aid to children.

During his trip, Bloom toured Irpin, Demydiv and Kyiv, where he entered the palace and gave a warm greeting to the Ukrainian President.

Check out video showing Bloom placing his hand against his heart before shaking Zelensky's hand while the two exchange pleasantries.

After that, they got down to business at a long table in a safe room, discussing how they could help the Ukrainian children as the Russian war rages on.

At one point, Bloom said, "To see the children, to see in their eyes - its palpable - the anxiety ... and yet the strength of the Ukrainian people is something that is really awe-inspiring."

He continued, "And of course, your messaging is the reason for that. So it’s remarkable to see how you are holding this country."

So far, 465 Ukrainian children have been killed during the war and approximately 14,000 more have been kidnapped and deported to Russia, according to Ukrainian officials. Only around 125 of them have been sent back to Ukraine.

Bloom told Zelensky UNICEF was seriously looking into the matter of the missing Ukrainian children while the men talked about the need for foster families instead of group homes for the kids.

Then Bloom turned to the topic of Vladimir Putin, referring to him as a war criminal. He summed up his feelings about the Russian president this way, "Of course, he who shall not be mentioned was made a war criminal because of this. And, it's so horrific what's going on."

Ted Nugent kicked off Donald Trump's latest rally with a homophobic insult aimed at Volodymyr Zelensky ... falsely claiming the guy's gay while demanding a refund.

The rocker was one of the first speakers for the DT event down in Waco, TX Saturday ... and when he took the stage, he started ranting and raving about the Biden administration's spending decisions -- including where they've sent money and supplies.

He started out by saying he (as an American) didn't give the OK for JB and co. to surrender a bunch of U.S. military equipment to the Taliban ... referencing the exit out of Afghanistan.

Then, he went straight into bigotry -- saying he also didn't sign off on the government sending billions of dollars in aid to embattled Ukraine amid their ongoing war with Russia. Here's how Ted put it ... "I want my money back! I didn't authorize any money to Ukraine to some homosexual weirdo. I want my money back! I want my freedom back!"

He went on to say that the crowd might wanna write this down ... adding, "Men don't give me my rights, God gives my rights." The crowd was eating it up and cheering him on.

There's more to TN's rant. He talked about securing the border, banning abortion, etc. He even strummed his guitar a bit -- so it made for quite a speech. Oh, and Mike Lindell (the MyPillow guy) was also there ... he spoke too, calling DeSantis "Trojan Horse Ron." 😅

Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene are on the ground as well -- two of Trump's biggest defenders -- and they're decrying the supposedly looming criminal charges against him ... calling it political persecution. Those charges have yet to be announced, BTW.

Trump himself is set to arrive shortly ... it'll be interesting to see what he says. This would mark his first public appearance since word of him possibly getting arrested came down.

As for the Zelensky dig from Ted ... obviously it's completely out of line, and completely inaccurate. Not only is it laced with hate, but it's simply not true -- VZ is a married man (to a woman), and he's continuing to battle Putin for his country's sovereignty and borders.

Frankly, it's fine if Ted's not cool with the aid we've sent, and could've made his point about that without stooping to lies and conspiracy theories ... not to mention outright homophobia.

Gladys Knight is furious that President Biden has invited the likes of BTS to The White House, yet her repeated requests for a sit-down with the President over a vital issue have been ignored ... and she flatly asks the question ... "Are the problems associated with African Americans not equal to those of other races? Why do we have to be last?"

Gladys' company, Riccino Optical, provides COVID-related products, including antigen tests, anti-fog goggles and face shields. Her company, which she describes as an "African American woman owned minority business," has been trying to get a government contract to provide these PPEs to the public, but she says they've been ignored.

The singer says the feds are giving contracts to the "Good old boys' network of Washington D.C. insiders." She goes on to say a contract was specifically targeted to help Native American businesses in this space, yet she says there are no Native American manufacturers of these PPEs, while her company has millions in inventory.

Gladys wrote her letter to Biden in June. Although she went to The White House earlier this week to receive the National Medal of Arts, she did not have a sit-down with the President, even though her husband asked Biden why he hasn't met with her yet.

In her letter, she says, "It is extraordinarily insulting to watch news reports ... that a boy band from South Korea, BTS, had an in-person meeting with President Biden."

She goes on ... "As a longtime, Democrat and Civil rights warrior, as well as a legendary entertainer that has met with President Biden many times in my life, the difficulty of setting up a meeting with him over these issues makes no sense."

America's crackdown on TikTok might just be a way for lawmakers to look good on camera, but that doesn't mean a potential ban of the app nationwide is just for show ... so says Taylor Lorenz.

The Washington Post's top tech reporter joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, giving us her thoughts about the current hearings about the app's ties to China ... as TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew gets grilled by congressmen at Capitol Hill.

She says it seems like a lot of the lawmakers are dragging Chew to get some viral traction, ironically enough ... adding there's a bigger point to be made about social media as a whole, but strangely the blame is just put on TikTok -- pointing to Facebook, for example.

That being said, Taylor is still taking these hearings seriously ... and she tells us why it could all still come crumbling down.