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Texas Governor Greg Abbott is now among the thousands who've recently tested positive for the coronavirus in his state, and his breakthrough case comes on the heels of him being in very close contact with a lot of people.

Abbott says he's tested daily and Tuesday was his first positive test result. According to a statement from his office ... he's receiving Regeneron's antibody treatment even though he's not experiencing symptoms, and will isolate at the Governor's Mansion and test daily.

The good news is, he's also fully vaccinated and says he's in good health. The bad news is ... just last night he attended a standing-room-only event in Collin County where, as you can see, there were no masks in sight and no social distancing.

Gov. Abbott says everyone he's been in close contact with Tuesday has been notified, but does not clarify if that includes all the people at Monday night's event. His wife has tested negative so far, but he also recently tweeted about meeting musician Jimmie Vaughan ... brother of the late legend, Stevie Ray.

The Texas governor has been under fire as cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been on the rise lately -- especially in nursing homes and cases are up even among kids.

The Taliban are continuing to take hold of Afghanistan, and instant changes reflecting their ideology are already cropping up in the nation's capital ... especially as it relates to women.

The so-called religious "students" and their vast discipleship are on the brink of sacking Kabul right now -- with mass evacuations underway among citizens and leaders (like Afghanistan's president, Ashraf Ghani, who's said to have fled) but also ... U.S. diplomats and other allies who are stranded at the embassy there, which is basically under siege.

Aside from the utter chaos that's descended upon the area over the past week or so -- it's becoming quite clear that with the Taliban at the helm again, which looks more and more likely by the day, their world is going to look vastly different ... and almost overnight, too.

One example of this that's manifesting this weekend is the fact that posters, billboards and advertising-like images of women in and around Kabul are starting to get painted over completely, presumably at the Taliban's behest. Check out this photo showing exactly that.

The thinking here seems to be in line with what the Taliban subscribes to -- a strict interpretation of Islamic law, which often sees women of its faith being covered up and often relegated to whatever a man has to say. One glance at this, and it would appear the Taliban wants to get the status-quo back ASAP -- unraveling 20 years of a U.S. presence there.

Of course, it's become a political nightmare on our shores -- with Republicans pointing the finger at President Biden for evacuating our troops in recent months. But, his counterpoint was ... well, this is something Trump brokered while in office, and he just followed through.

In the meantime, footage that has surfaced of what's going on on the ground level is shocking. The streets of Kabul are jam-packed with people trying to hit the airport to get outta Dodge. But they're out of luck because commercial flights have reportedly been suspended.

Instead, it looks like only military aircrafts are being used at the moment ... and there's video of people trying to board what appears to be a cargo plane of some sort -- the type that opens up in the back, normally used for transporting massive gear and equipment.

This is just a taste of the scene there, and it's gut-wrenching. Big picture ... some U.S. officials have openly warned what letting the Taliban have its run of the place might mean for national security -- AKA, potential terrorism threats that could arise from this insurgence.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has had it up to HERE with anti-maskers ... blasting them as schmucks who have ZERO idea what freedom's really about.

The Terminator went off Wednesday after he was asked during an interview about COVID misinformation that's been spreading like the Delta variant ... wreaking havoc across the country.

Arnold spoke directly to, or at, anti-maskers saying, "Screw your freedom. Because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities. You cannot just say, 'I have the right to X, Y and Z.' When you affect other people, that is when it gets serious."

He noted that anti-maskers have the freedom to NOT wear a mask but added ... "But you know something? You’re a schmuck for not wearing a mask."

Arnold, of course, has been a huge proponent of COVID-19 mitigations such as social distancing, wearing masks and the vaccine. Earlier this year ... he posted video of himself getting the shot at Dodger Stadium.

He also dropped some of his most famous lines while doing so ... including, "Come with me if you want to live," which is what the Model 101 Terminator told Sarah Connor.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is about to address the elephant in the room -- the growing pressure for him to step down in the wake of the NY Attorney General's finding he sexually harassed several women.

The 10-year N.Y. guv is holding a news conference Tuesday morning. It will be his first public comment since last week when NY AG Letitia James announced the results of her office's investigation -- saying Cuomo had sexually harassed former and current female staffers, dating back to 2013 all the way up to 2020.

It's unclear if he's announcing his resignation, but last week he remained defiant ... saying he would not. Just about every prominent Democrat you can imagine, including President Joe Biden, was calling on Cuomo to step down, and the NY State Legislature has been meeting to discuss impeachment if he doesn't.

Some of the alleged behavior, per A.G. James, included groping, kissing, hugging and inappropriate comments -- some of which could possibly amount to criminal charges, she added. Charges may actually arise from this -- as one of Cuomo's accusers has already filed a police report out of Albany County ... and they say they're investigating it now.

Cuomo, for his part, had denied wrongdoing ... claiming he'd never touched anyone in the ways described by the A.G.. He'd previously said he might've been too familiar with some of his staffers in the past -- but chalked it up to him mistakenly not recognizing boundaries.

He had also adamantly refused to resign, saying he wasn't going to let the allegations get in the way of his duties as Governor.

Cuomo's been acting as NY's chief executive since 2011 ... and was mostly beloved during that time.

Barack Obama had more than enough face masks on hand for his birthday party guests this past weekend -- custom ones at that -- but it's clear a lot weren't put to good use.

44's been taking a ton of heat these past few days for throwing himself a huge bash on Martha's Vineyard, where upwards of at least 200 guests showed up ... many of whom were celeb buddies of his ... and who were mostly unmasked, it seems.

Despite how this might've looked at first ... TMZ has learned that 44 actually provided all of his guests with facial coverings, which were tailored specifically for this event with a 44x60 logo on the side.

The company that made 'em is called HENRY Mask -- and they tell TMZ that they actually gifted more than 1,000 individual custom masks to Obama and co. to cover partygoers, as well as party staff.

HENRY co-founder and celeb tailor/designer Richfresh was commissioned to design the uniforms (which also included the 44x60) for all working the events -- including the hosts, cooks and bartenders -- and decided to gift the masks to the party as a token of his appreciation.

Most of the wardrobe Richfresh designed consisted of either polo or custom printed shirts and matching pants of varying colors.

As far as actually wearing the masks ... to each their own, it would appear -- 'cause we'd say a majority of folks who were boogey-ing down (BO included) opted not to cover their mouths and noses. That doesn't mean they weren't there and available though ... HENRY made sure of that.

Barack Obama's attitude toward his mega birthday bash -- which still looks pretty mega at this point -- seems to pretty much be ... forrrrrreeeeeget about it.

The ex-Prez was seen playing a round of golf Saturday on Martha's Vineyard with pals, not too far from where he'll be holding his big shindig later tonight -- which is still expected to host scores of people ... this in spite of him claiming to have scaled it back.

The apparent contradiction to his announced plans doesn't seem to be bothering BO one bit, though -- 'cause the dude was all smiles on the links.

Check out these pics of 44 fore-ing it up in grey, and taking some big swings on the fairway -- he looks about as polished as ever ... even when he shanks one, which he didn't appear to do a whole lot of here. Looks like he was mindful of blisters, too ... wearing bandages on his gloveless hand.

These are the same good-time vibes we saw at last night's leadup to the party -- where a crap ton of people (upwards of 300, we're told) came out for a pre-game of sorts ... laughing it up at a house Barry seems to have rented for the festivities. This, in addition to the giant tent he has on standby for the night of, we might add.

After a raucous night of fun, it would seem Barack had energy and then some for a game.

As we've reported ... people on the island are pissed over the multi-night gatherings for a number of reasons -- not the least of which include roads being blocked off for locals.

Our boots on the ground just spotted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rev. Al Sharpton who are both staying at area hotels.

Barack Obama's 60th birthday party kicked off Friday night at a resort near his home in Martha's Vineyard, and if the pre-party is any indication, the real party Saturday night will be way bigger than previously thought.

Judging from photos on a balcony, there was quite the crowd Friday ... it seems at the very least dozens of people showed up.

Residents on Martha's Vineyard tell TMZ, the Island is crawling with guests who will be attending the formal party inside a tent on the Obama's estate, and that includes a bunch of celebs including John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Don Cheadle, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Kim Fields, Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union. Others expected to attend are Jay-Z and Beyonce, George Clooney and Stephen Colbert.

It's unclear how many people will attend the big party tonight, but residents say it's way bigger than an intimate family and close friends soiree. Based on the number of people who have descended on the Island, residents think several hundred people may show.

Although the Obamas are loved by many on Martha's Vineyard, some residents are angry that their Island has been upended by the party. They say Secret Service has been ordering people around and blocking roads. They're also concerned about the Delta variant ... which has become an issue in Massachusetts as well as everywhere else in the country.

Tonight should be interesting.

Barack Obama's 60th birthday may have gotten scaled back from a bash to a small shindig ... but it's still about as star-studded as it gets.

Several celebs still on the guest list have been making their way to the summer garden party at the former president's $12 million Martha's Vineyard mansion to celebrate B.O. turning the big 6-0 ... including a pair of powerhouse couples -- John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, and Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union ... this according to the New York Times.

Don Cheadle's also arrived, and huge names like Jay-Z and Beyonce, Eddie Vedder, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg are all still expected to attend.

So who didn't make the scaled-down guest list? Many of Obama's former administration officials including David Axelrod, and many comedians like David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Larry David ... giving the latter a fantastic idea for a future episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Axelrod's the big surprise ... he engineered Obama's 2008 election victory.

As we reported ... Barack's 60th was scheduled to be a massive event, but the Obamas decided to scuttle the plan over COVID concerns with Delta surging.

Barack Obama's 60th birthday bash looks like it would have been epic, if not for the damn Delta variant ... just look at this massive tent where the party would've been held!!!

As you can see, there's a couple of temporary structures taking up tons of real estate at the Obamas' sprawling property on Martha's Vineyard ... including the tents, which is where a reported 500 or so of his closest friends would have been celebrating. Oh, and about 200 staffers were lined up to serve the guests.

Remember ... Obama nixed the party at the last minute after struggling to make it COVID safe in the face of the surging Delta variant, on top of the CDC now saying vaccinated people can spread the virus as easily as non-vaccinated folks.

The tents are so big you can see them from super far away ... and you can just imagine what the party would have been like. It was supposedly going to be a who's-who of power brokers with folks like Oprah, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg expected to rub elbows with Obama.

Like we told you ... Obama's reps say the event is now going to be a more intimate affair for close friends and family.

It's a callback Friday for President Biden ... whose decision to wear a tan suit to a news conference looks like a nod to the dumbest "controversy" of former President Barack Obama's administration.

The Prez took the podium Friday morning at the White House to speak about the economy and the July jobs report -- mostly positive news for once -- and he raised some eyebrows by stepping out in beige ... with a green tie.

As you might recall ... Obama was skewered by conservatives and style critics when he did the same thing on August 28, 2014 for his news conference about increasing the U.S. military response against Syria.

Tan Suit Gate -- as it became to be known -- featured Republicans blasting Obama for his wardrobe choice, claiming it showed a lack of seriousness ... while countless bloggers and talking heads weighed in on the look for weeks afterward.

Anyway, now that Biden's debuted his tan suit look for the first time in his presidency, it begs 2 questions: Will this result in a similarly stupid uproar? And, more importantly ... who wore it better?

Barack Obama nixing his epic 60th birthday bash at the last minute is creating a potential nightmare for many out-of-town guests ... who might lose out on major dough.

We did some digging around Martha's Vineyard -- where the shindig was supposed to go down -- and as it turns out, a bunch of hotels in the area are not issuing refunds for ObamaFest guests who had rooms booked this weekend.

The reason, we've learned, is many of these hotels have strict cancelation policies -- especially at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort -- where you had to have canceled by February 1st to get any money back!!! 😩

A few of these places -- like The Charlotte Inn and the Vineyard Square Hotel have a 30-day cancelation rule ... so those guests are outta luck too.

Ditto for a hotel called Hob Knob (which can run $800/night), but they'll credit you for a future stay if you cancel within 72 hours. Now, a few ... like the Harbor View ($1,300/night) will let you off clean without fees within a 72-hour cancelation window.

The problem is some of Obama's party crew were arriving Thursday ... so the Wednesday morning change of plans -- due to the Delta variant COVID-19 surge -- left them out in the cold.

Not everyone's screwed though -- we did find a small number of lenient/reasonable hotels that allow cancelations within 48, or even 24 hours.

We know what you're thinking ... why wouldn't these places all be reasonable, considering the circumstances? It's all about timing -- our MV sources reminded us this is the busiest time of year there, so hoteliers don't tend to give up summer revenue.

Hotels aside, ObamaFest is also causing a bit of a worker shortage! The event -- originally planned for roughly 500 guests, and the talk of MV since late May -- was reportedly going to employ upwards of 200 locals.

People in the know on the island say that left other MV businesses short-handed. Also, we're told cab/rental car companies have been slammed and completely booked in anticipation of the party.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, including employees in his office, according to New York's Attorney General.

NY A.G. Letitia James announced the results of her investigation Tuesday, and said the NY Governor had sexually harassed former and current employees from 2013 to 2020 -- and had even retaliated against an ex-employee who reported allegations.

According to the report ... the sexual harassment included unwanted and inappropriate groping, kissing, hugging and comments that were "deeply humiliating, uncomfortable, offensive or inappropriate."

James says Cuomo and his office fostered a "toxic" workplace that enabled "harassment to occur." The AG's probe took 5 months, and found Cuomo and his senior staff intended to discredit and disparage at least one of his accusers.

The report's bottom line is Cuomo's actions violated multiple state and federal laws ... not to mention the Executive Chamber's own written policies.

The allegations first surfaced in December 2020 with multiple women coming forward. Investigators say nearly 200 individuals were interviewed and investigators combed through more than 74,000 documents, emails, texts and pictures.

As part of the investigation ... Cuomo was interviewed and the A.G.'s office says Cuomo gave "blanket denials" or didn't recall specific incidents.

The AG's investigators say his denials stand in stark contrast to the corroborating evidence and credible witnesses they found through the course of the investigation.

New York's 2 U.S. Senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on Cuomo to resign ... as have other Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The McCains and the Trumps continue to fire shots at each other ... and this time it's pitting John McCain's daughter against Donald Trump's niece.

Meghan McCain went scorched-earth on Mary Trump Monday after the former President's niece took a shot at her on "The View."

Mary, who secretly recorded her relatives for a book she wrote, beamed into the talk show for an interview about her famous family members, and she ripped Meghan for not being part of the discussion, saying it showed a lack of courage on MM's part.

Well, Meghan didn't take the dig too kindly and now she's going after Mary and the rest of the Trumps, saying ... "There is no 'good' Trump family member to me. Continue to wish they would all just leave me and my entire family the f*** alone."

It's unclear why Meghan was not part of the segment with Mary ... Meghan appeared in earlier segments of the show, but Mary was only fielding questions from Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines and Sunny Hostin.

Congresswoman Cori Bush spent the night sleeping on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to protest the end of the COVID eviction moratorium.

We got the Rep from Missouri Saturday morning after she spent a night with several other members of Congress -- Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar -- to highlight the impending struggle of millions of people who will be evicted from their homes unless Congress extends the eviction moratorium.

Bush, who was once homeless herself, is frustrated Congress has just taken a 7-week recess without voting to extend renters' protection.  Democrats tried and failed Friday to extend the law, so it's a certainty that the law will expire today.

Bush made a personal plea to her fellow members, saying she's been evicted 3 times in her life along with her 2 children. She says she lived in a car and tried conveying the harsh realities of living without a roof over your head.

Donald Trump is looking to unload one of his personal helicopters ... and it seems like he's hoping someone makes him an offer he can't refuse. Like, literally.

Sources tell TMZ ... the former President recently put one of his personal choppers on the market, but there's no exact asking price, and potential buyers can just submit offers.

According to the online listing, Trump's helicopter is a 1990 Sikorsky S76-B ... and we're told the market for these kinds of choppers is usually around $1 million.

TMZ broke the story ... Trump put another one of his personal choppers up for sale in November when he was still in office, and back then the listing also said "Make offer."

We're told this new one, being sold through an aerial retailer via Aero Asset, is the exact same model as the one Trump previously listed.

Remember ... Trump's owned 3 Sikorsky S76-B helicopters over the years, plus other private aircrafts.

As you can see, the helicopter's got all the typical Trump bells and whistles ... like gold seat belts and gold handles, plus upholstered leather and custom flooring.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger says the voicemail D.C. cop Michael Fanone got wishing him death is awful ... but he's glad the cop shared it to the public so they can hear the vitriol directed at heroes who simply tell the truth.

We got the Illinois Congressman on Capitol Hill Wednesday and he didn't mince words ... the state of the Union is, well, not great ... and the hateful voicemail left for Fanone is further evidence we are in trouble as a nation.

ICYMI ... the person who left the voicemail wished death on Fanone and other Capitol officers in a racist, homophobic rant. The caller suggested the insurrection was fake. As for Fanone's testimony, the caller said, "You want an Emmy, an Oscar? What are you trying to go for here, man? You're so full of s*** you little f****t f**ker."

The rant continued, "That was s**t on the God damn Capitol. I wish they woulda killed all you scumbags. They stole the election from Trump and you know that, you scumbag."

Fanone and many other police officers were badly beaten on January 6. He suffered a mild heart attack and a concussion. He was also repeatedly shocked by a stun gun. Fanone, a Republican, said, "This is what happens to people that tell the truth in Trump's America."