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Monica Lewinsky says she had suicidal ideations during the scandal over her affair with Bill Clinton because she couldn't see a way out ... but a psychiatrist helped her through it and possibly saved her life.

Monica revealed her mental health struggles amid the investigation into the Clinton scandal to CNN's David Axelrod on Thursday's episode of his podcast, telling him she thought killing herself might be a solution.

Lewinksy says it went as far as her asking the lawyers working for Ken Starr -- who was leading the investigation -- what would happen if she died.

According to Monica ... it's inexcusable there was no protocol back then to help someone in her situation, but thankfully she began seeing a forensic psychiatrist who guided her through it.

She adds ... "And so I was, you know, pretty, pretty lucky."

Monica's infamous experience is back in the spotlight thanks to the latest installment of "American Crime Story" on FX -- 'Impeachment' -- for which she's a producer. BTW, the show is great and -- because Monica was so involved -- it gives never-before insight into her relationship with Clinton and Linda Tripp.

Congressman Danny Davis believes in second chances, and says after R. Kelly does his time ... he'll be given one in his hometown of Chicago.

The Representative from Illinois' 7th congressional district was on Capitol Hill Monday on the heels of the disgraced singer being found guilty on all counts in his federal sex crimes trial ... and offered an interesting perspective on the potential for Kelly to redeem himself.

Rep. Davis tells us because Kelly's a gifted, talented artist ... he believes he'll be welcomed back after serving his prison sentence and offered a chance for redemption.

If you don't know ... Rep. Davis was responsible for submitting the Second Chance Act of 2007, which supports the re-entry of offenders into their communities after they've been incarcerated.

According to Davis ... this law was meant for people exactly like R. Kelly, but he points out that what the singer does with his second chance is entirely up to him.

The Congressman also has some advice for Kelly as he deals with his legal woes and his upcoming sentencing -- which as we reported, ranges from 10 years to life.

President Reagan's attempted assassin will soon shed the restrictions that came with his initial prison release ... a federal judge granted John Hinckley Jr. an unconditional release.

Hinckley, now 66 years old after his failed 1981 assassination attempt, was released from prison in 2016, and was living at his mother's house under court-ordered supervision for all of that time. The level of supervision has gotten lighter over the years.

Now, the judge just signed off on a full release, set to begin next June, which means Hinckley will no longer be ordered to steer clear of the Reagan family or Jodie Foster ... with whom he was infatuated when he pulled the trigger.

As you know ... Hinckley was found not guilty by insanity for the 1981 shooting that left Reagan with a chest injury. His press secretary, James Brady, was paralyzed, while a Secret Service agent, and cop were also shot.

Hinckley was committed to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in D.C. after the verdict, where he lived until 2016 when a federal judge signed off on his release, with restrictions.

Prosecutors say Hinckley is now living on his own for the first time in about 4 decades -- his mother passed away this past July -- and one of his primary doctors is about to retire and disband his therapy group. Still, the Department of Behavioral Health says Hinckley is a low risk for future violence.

Hinckley's lawyer says his client wants to express regret and apologize to his victims' families, Jodie and the American people ... and claims Hinckley's full release is a victory for mental health.

Liz Cheney has done a 180 on gay marriage -- an issue that fractured her family given that her sister is gay -- and she flatly says ... she was wrong to oppose it.

The Wyoming congresswoman did the about-face during her interview on "60 Minutes" Sunday night ... and it stunned Leslie Stahl.

Liz's sister, Mary, is married to a woman, and although their father, former Veep Dick Cheney, came out in support of gay marriage, Liz dug her heels in and opposed it.

Cheney's reshaped view is stunning, as she said, "Freedom means freedom for everybody."

Cheney's in trouble in her home district in Wyoming, in large part because she wouldn't buy into Donald Trump's false claims the 2020 Presidential election was stolen. She sure seems undaunted ... and confident she'll win reelection.

Rep. Cheney says anyone who votes against her in 2022 ... is voting against the Constitution.

Cheney goes on to say Trump "doesn't believe in the rule of law" and unlike many of her GOP colleagues, she's openly rebuked the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Hillary Clinton is happily taking a consolation prize after missing the big one 5 years ago -- settling for the title of Madam ... but in a collegiate setting, well across the pond.

The former Democratic presidential candidate and Secretary of State was honored Friday at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland ... where the head honchos tapped her to be the school's 11th chancellor -- the first female one in the institution's history -- and where she was officially inaugurated as so, dressed in a graduate's gown ... no cap.

HC posted photos Saturday in the aftermath of her ceremony, writing ... "Just call me Madam Chancellor. @qubelfast #LoveQUB" The shots show her heading into the building where she ended up delivering some nice remarks and praised NI as a beacon of democracy.

Looks and sounds pretty nice in these still pics -- but it was far from that in real life ... as there were anti-war protesters just outside shouting at her as she went in -- calling things like "war criminal" and saying "shame on Queen's." Yeah ... it was pretty intense.

Hillary didn't seem to pay them much mind though -- in fact, she even gave them a slight wave before she went up the steps and into the venue ... and, luckily, things didn't escalate beyond that.

A piece of presidential history is hitting the market ... Abraham Lincoln's death certificate could be yours to take home, as long as you've got some pretty deep pockets.

It's pretty cool ... the document is over 156 years old and it appears to still be in pretty good condition, noting Abe's infamous assassination on April 14, 1865, in cursive penmanship.

While the doc states the obvious, it's also got an interesting nugget ... pointing out our 16th president's estate was worth $85,000 at the time of his death. In current dollars that would be $1.42 million. That's a pretty good chunk of change for the 1860s.

David Davis, one of Honest Abe's closest friends, signed Lincoln's death certificate after taking his body back to Illinois following his assassination at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C.

Abe's death certificate is going up for sale at Moments In Time, with an asking price of $425,000. We don't recommend paying with $5 bills or pennies.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is unvaccinated, but somehow got a pass to attend a United Nations meeting, but NYC restaurants literally kicked him to the curb.

Bolsonaro, a staunch anti-vaxxer, and several of his cabinet members were relegated to chowing down pizza on a sidewalk Sunday night, because NYC is one of the few cities that's not allowing anyone -- world leader or not -- inside restaurants without proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

It was Bolsonaro's first night on the town ahead of Tuesday's address to the UN General Assembly ... where he was the first world leader to speak.

Yes, the COVID-19 skeptic who still ignorantly believes the virus is nothing more than a "little flu" wore a mask inside the UN's NYC headquarters ... but he also broke the UN "honor system."

The U.N.'s General Assembly president, Abdulla Shahid, had previously sent a memo to its 193-member states stating that its COVID-19 vaccination honor system would continue to be in effect for presidents, prime ministers and diplomats attending the meeting ... meaning the UN was NOT going to require proof of vaccination.

Nevertheless, many world leaders elected to stay away and instead sent a video message. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio also warned Bolsonaro not to bother coming to the Big Apple if he wasn't vaccinated.

Bolsonaro clearly defied de Blasio, but get this ... British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday asked Bolsonaro during a briefing if he's vaccinated ... to which the prez replied by laughing and saying, "No. Not yet."

The 50th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus was off the hook, thanks to the host -- Vice President Kamala Harris -- and her menu did not disappoint ... not by a longshot!!!

We got Congressman Gregory Meeks on the Hill Monday, and he could not be prouder of the event ... an event hosted by a former CBC member at the Naval Observatory, the Vice President's residence. Meeks says it's significant because the Veep understands the issues that top the CBC's agenda.

Now, as for the meal ... well, Meeks says it was amazing -- hors d'oeuvres, fish tacos, lamb, avocado rolls, and on and on.

Donald Trump got s*** on this week, and now we know the culprit ... and his name is Axl.

As we reported, someone dumped a load of poop on Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of fame. It's not vandalism -- because there was no damage -- but it would seem it's a violation of the L.A. Pooper Scooper ordinance ... HOWEVER, we've learned there's a twist.

Well, TMZ has cracked the case. Turns out Axl, an 18-month-old rescue, was walking on Hollywood Blvd. with his owner, James Hawkins, when nature called. Axl took a giant poop near Trump's star, and rather than picking it up, Hawkins decided it should adorn Trump's star.

James tells us he picked up the poop and placed it on 45's star. He took a photo to keep the memory alive. A short time later, James bagged the poop and left the scene of the crime.

James is a photographer from Rhode Island, who was in town on business. He tells us he's a democrat, and he's not a fan of Trump's ... in fact, he said he thinks Trump is "a piece of s**t," so James felt one good piece deserves another.

BTW ... it doesn't appear James violated the Pooper Scooper ordinance because he blue-bagged the excrement in short order.

Donald Trump has given a lot of people s**t, so someone decided to return the gesture in kind ... with a load of dog poop plastered over his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Someone dropped a load on the star Thursday ... much to the chagrin and delight of tourists ... depending on their political bend.

And, this is interesting ... whoever dropped the do-do won't be prosecuted, because it's not vandalism. According to CA law, someone can be prosecuted for vandalism if they "deface with graffiti or other inscribed material" or if they damage or destroy someone else's property.
Here, a hosing down will do the trick, and it's too much of a reach.

Now, it's possible to cite the offender with violating L.A.'s pooper scooper law, which requires dog owners to pick up after their pets.

There has been lots of vandalism on that star over the last 5 years. James Otis, a member of the famed Otis Elevator fam, took a pickax to the star in 2016 and several times in the years that followed. He pled no contest to vandalism and got community service and a $4,400 fine. He was placed on 3 years probation.

He was arrested and charged with felony vandalism last year ... it appears that case is ongoing.

George Lopez pretended to pee on the star back in 2018 ... but faking peeing doesn't get you prosecuted.

As more and more states adopt laws making it illegal to make racially biased 911 calls ... a noted author and comedian -- who's called out so-called "Karens" -- is praising the move as a literal lifesaver.

Tyler Merritt jumped on "TMZ Live" on Wednesday and explained the importance of the Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-emergencies Act (or the CAREN Act) ... a law passed by San Francisco last year, and just recently in Santa Cruz, CA too.

Tyler has no doubt the legal change will save lives ...  mostly for people of color who are being prejudged by people whose unfounded fear triggers them to call 911.

He says the danger is the caller ends up passing their false perception on to cops responding to the scene -- and, as we've seen, that can lead to tragic outcomes.

Perhaps the most famous case went down just last year ... when an NYC woman, Amy Cooper, was caught on video calling 911 and pretending a Black man was attacking her in Central Park. Christian Cooper, a frequent bird watcher, had only asked Amy to leash her dog.

Tyler -- the author of the new book, "I Take My Coffee Black" -- says a 6-foot-2 black man like himself already has a strike against him in society because he's Black ... let alone the added fear that he's being misperceived based on a phone call rooted in ignorance.

Talk about a 9/11 memorial that misses by a mile ... in an incredibly disrespectful display, a parade in Porter County, Indiana featured models of the Twin Towers with smoke billowing from each.

The float in question was built by the Valparaiso Republican Party. You hear a few people in the crowd sounding off their disbelief as they watched the float tool down the street.

The float was part of the 40th Popcorn Festival which was held on Sept. 11.

It's apparent the Republicans were taking heat for the display ... they limited comments on Facebook, in which folks almost certainly expressed their outrage.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's gravesite namesake has surfaced a year after she died -- following in a tradition established by her religion ... with her plaque sharing space with her late husband's.

The Supreme Court Justice's headstone was unveiled this weekend at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia -- lying right underneath her hubby's, Martin Ginsburg, who died in 2010. Now, RBG's info has been added ... making for a tall, impressive slab above where they're buried together.

Ginsburg's tombstone lists her DOB as March 15, 1933 and her death as September 18, 2020. She's described as an Associate Justice to SCOTUS, having served since '93 -- and the Supreme Court seal is even emblazoned up top.

The reason we haven't seen this earlier ... it's Jewish tradition to keep a tombstone hidden until sometime after the mourning period following someone's death, and the one-year anniversary of their passing. That won't be until next weekend, but this fits the window.

Ginsburg died of pancreatic cancer, and Marty also died of cancer. They were 87 and 78, respectively.

Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp's relationship is under a microscope in Ryan Murphy's 'Impeachment' series -- and the journalist who first got the real-life story says there's no way to soft-pedal how Monica was stabbed in the back.

Author and journalist Michael Isikoff joined us Thursday to recount his 1997 meetings with Tripp ... which led to him uncovering the fact an independent counsel was investigating Bill Clinton's affair with the then-22-year-old White House intern. He said it was clear to him Linda was betraying Monica's confidence ... something he calls "indefensible."

Those of you alive back then will recall Tripp secretly recorded her conversations with Monica about Clinton -- and now a whole new generation will see those meetings play out in "Impeachment: American Crime Story."

Isikoff says Monica, who's a producer on 'Impeachment,' deserves the opportunity to tell the scandal from her perspective. As he puts it, Linda's treatment of Monica was "dicey" from an ethical standpoint.

Speaking of ethics, Isikoff -- who wrote the book, "Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter's Story" -- also told us why he turned down Tripp's offer to steal Monica's infamous blue dress and hand it over to him.

Of course, Tripp eventually turned over the dress, with Clinton's semen stain on it, to independent counsel Ken Starr, along with her recordings of Monica.

The Food Network wants to make it clear ... it has NO relationship anymore with the former FN host who went on a rant over the Texas anti-abortion law and the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to punt.

Josh Denny -- a comedian who hosted Food Network's "Ginormous Food," and has described himself as a "canceled" comedian -- went on a tear over the Texas law, telling women to "calm down." He also took issue that most women would have no idea they were pregnant in the first 6 weeks, saying in disgusting fashion ... "Only whores wouldn't know for 6 weeks."

People on social media tore into Denny, who responded with this ... “Your freedom to be offended is commensurate to my freedom to offend you.”

President Biden brings up his late son, Beau, way too much for comfort, and it might be a political mistake -- so suggests the NYT, which had to tweak a headline over this.

The paper of record published a story Saturday that's all about how some people are seriously tired of Biden invoking Beau in seemingly any context ... and citing his grief over his boy's death as a way to connect to the topic at hand. Lately, that's been Afghanistan.

The Times' OG headline for this story read, "Biden, Still Grieving His Son, Finds That Not Everyone Wants to Hear About It" -- which caught TONS of backlash, and was changed. Now, it says, "In Invoking Beau, Biden Broaches a Loss That’s Guided His Presidency."

The NYT reports some Biden advisers acknowledge that, yeah, JB does name-drop Beau a lot ... and doesn't always tweak his approach based on his audience, which might be smart in certain situations -- as Biden's gotten criticism over this of late ... including from one Gold Star father, whose own kid recently got killed in Afghanistan during the chaotic pull-out.

Mark Schmitz told WaPo that during a dignified transfer last week for the 13 Marines killed during a bombing in Kabul -- for which Biden was present -- the Prez apparently steered a private convo they had to his own son, which Schmitz found inappropriate ... seeing how they were there to remember the recently fallen. Not just that, but many point out Beau wasn't killed in combat ... he died of brain cancer, after serving as a military lawyer in Iraq.

With all that said, that first headline is pretty harsh ... and fairly insensitive. Many online say Biden should be allowed to grieve however the hell he wants -- and the Times seems to have taken notice, 'cause they changed how they phrased it. Still, the sentiment remains.

On the flip side ... there are other families who've lost children to tragedy -- and have gotten face time with Joe after the fact -- who've said they appreciate Biden connecting with them on a personal level by talking Beau, humanizing him. So, it's a mixed bag of reception here.