Donald Trump Enough TikTok, I'm Banning It

Donald Trump says he's gonna ban TikTok as early as today.

Trump told a reporter on Air Force One Friday night, “Well, I have that authority ... I can do it with an executive order ..."  He reportedly followed up by saying, "We're banning them from the United States."

The pretext is that TikTok is owned by a Chinese company and Trump has it out for China. As you know, he refers to coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," and he's done everything he can to make China the scapegoat for the rampant spread of COVID in the U.S.

100 million folks in the U.S. use TikTok, which has exploded in popularity during the pandemic. On top of that, the company has hired 1,000 Americans this year, and plan to hire 10,000 more.

And, there's this ... TikTok has helped Americans deal with isolation and depression. It's been uplifting for millions of folks. It's also been a source of income for some of its users.

There have been concerns over privacy and the data collected by the company that owns the app, but Trump's M.O. is more about retaliation and deflection than privacy.

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

Trump has now floated what we've been talking about for months ... that he won't leave The White House willingly. And, there's smoke that Kamala Harris is Biden's pick for Veep. So we gotta ask ...

If Trump Loses ...

Biden Should Pick ...

Athletes Should Take A Knee ...

Getting Back To Normal

I Miss President Obama

I Miss George W. Bush

Should Feds Break Up Amazon?

I've Got Racially Diverse Friends ...

I Have Politically Diverse Friends ...

Master P J. Cole Training for NBA Career ... Dead Serious.

J. Cole is currently training his ass off in hopes of getting a shot to make an NBA roster ... so says Master P, who offered the rap star some pretty sound advice.

First, let's talk J. Cole -- the "No Role Models" rapper was a solid hooper back in high school and famously tried out for St. Johns during his stint in college, but ultimately decided to focus on music.

Master P
UNDER A MICROSCOPE
TMZSports.com

Cole is a regular on the celebrity basketball circuit and is widely known as one of the best non-pro celebrity ballers in the country.

The 35-year-old recently hooked up with Master P for a Puma commercial where it's strongly insinuated that Cole is training for a shot with an NBA team ... which makes sense since P basically did the same thing back in the day.

Master P says he earned an NBA contract with 2 different teams in the '90s -- after he was already a famous rap mogul -- and he knows what it takes to get to the top level.

P -- whose music and hoops careers are documented in BET's "No Limit Chronicles" -- tells TMZ Sports he had a lengthy conversation with J. Cole about his hoop dreams ... and says he's convinced the rapper is dead serious.

"When I talked to J. Cole, he was like 'You know, big dog you did it. What do you think I would have to do to make it happen?'"

"I said to get one of these NBA jerseys, it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be a lot of hate, it's gonna be a lot of people not believing in you but you know J. Cole -- he got the right size, he in the gym!"

"But, what I told him ... this a different time we're in. They're going to pick you apart! You're gonna have to be able to hit every shot and if you don't hit every shot, they -- you know in the NBA, they don't hit every shot but they believe in them. So, you're gonna have to go somewhere where the team really believe in you and the players believe in you."

P says Cole won't get a pass just because he's famous -- in fact, he'll have to work even harder than everyone else to prove he's for real.

"They've been putting their whole life into this. So, you're gonna have to prove you're worthy of being on that court."

P adds, "I believe in him and I believe that he's a youngster that has a lot of desire."

Bottom line -- P says if Cole does get an opportunity, he's gonna have to show out.

"Either you're gonna be good enough to play or you're gonna get exposed."

'Deadliest Catch' Mahlon Reyes Dead at 38

Mahlon Reyes, a deckhand on one of the "Deadliest Catch" crab fishing boats, is dead ... TMZ has learned.

Mahlon's wife tells us he died in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana after he suffered a heart attack last Saturday morning. Although he survived it, and was transported to a hospital ... he never regained consciousness.

His wife says the family decided Sunday to take Mahlon off life support. She says he was surrounded by loved ones.

We're told he had no existing health conditions his family knew of, so they're all completely shocked by the massive heart attack. His wife tells us Mahlon was cremated and his "Deadliest Catch" crew is going to spread some of his ashes in the Bering Sea.

We're told Mahlon was working his butt off to recover from a recently torn Achilles, suffered while crabbing on the boat, and was doing everything he could to get back to Alaska for another crab season.

The Flathead County Sheriff's Office says his official cause of death has not been determined yet ... pending autopsy and toxicology results.

Mahlon, who worked on 2 "Deadliest Catch" boats ... the Seabrooke and Cape Caution. He's survived by his wife and 4 children.

Mahlon was only 38.

RIP

Travis Kelce's GF Kayla Nicole Unfollows, Deletes Pics From IG Signs Point To Break Up

Have Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce and longtime girlfriend Kayla Nicole called it quits??

It sure looks that way ... with the TV host/model unfollowing the Kansas City Chiefs superstar and deleting all their pics on Instagram -- which is usually a strong indication it's over.

It's almost the same situation as Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers -- which started with a social media wipe ... and culminated in an official break up statement.

Kelce and Kayla have been together for YEARS ... and first went public back in 2017.

The couple has provided nothing but hot content in their time together -- from TikToks to boat parties to epic SB parades.

The couple even joined Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews in Lake Tahoe for a weekend of raging shortly after the QB signed his massive $503 MILLION contract.

Mahomes Kelce Boat Party JULY 2020
IT'S GOOD TO BE ME

Kelce famously tried to find love on the "Catching Kelce" reality show a few years back ... but ended up with Kayla shortly after instead.

We've reached out to Kelce and Kayla Nicole's reps for comment ... so far, no word back.

Celebrity Quarantine Birthdays Celebrate In Place

These birthday babes haven't let this pandemic stop them from making the best of it on their special day ... even if they gotta celebrate in quarantine!

Plans might have been switched around but stars such as Rory McIlroy, Shay Mitchell, Mariah Carey, and plenty of others are getting creative in order to keep the birthday magic alive ... and they've been sharing these sweet snaps along the way!

See all the famous faces that have been making the most of their at-home celebrations by scrolling through our gallery of celebrity quarantine birthdays.

In the end, it's all about the cake!

Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor Adrianne Haslet 'Livid' After Tsarnaev Death Sentence Overturned

Boston Marathon Bombing survivor Adrianne Haslet -- who lost her leg in the terror attack -- is FURIOUS after an appeals court Friday overturned the bomber's death sentence.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been sentenced to die for his role in the 2013 bombing which killed 3 people and injured more than 250 others, including Haslet.

Haslet -- a professional dancer at the time -- required emergency surgery and lost her left leg from the knee down.

Her comeback story has been nothing short of inspirational -- she trained up and completed the marathon on a prosthetic leg in 2016.

But, after learning that an appeals court had overturned Tsarnaev's death sentence Friday ... she WENT OFF in a heated IG post.

"I’m so livid at today’s ruling by the federal court," Haslet said.

"First and foremost, I cannot emphasize enough, without a shadow of a doubt, that the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul to stop racial profiling, and the death penalty is used in far too many cases of injustice. AND. The death penalty should be used in this particular case."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

"This terrorist admitted in court he was guilty of crimes committed against our country. He confessed, with his brother, to a man who testified in court that their plans were to drive to New York and bomb the city too. This terrorist gave the finger when asked if he felt guilty."

She added, "He is a threat to all of us and he needs to die."

As for Tsarnaev, the appeals court believed some of the jurors in his trial were not completely truthful about how much information they had about the case while being selected.

The death sentence was vacated -- BUT there will be a new penalty phase of the trial where it's possible the new jury could still sentence him to death.

Haslet says if need be, "I’m ready to testify again. LFG."

Nicki Minaj's Husband Judge Nixes Hubby's Curfew & Travel Restrictions ... Won't Miss Baby's Birth

UPDATE

3:37 PM PT -- 7/31 -- Kenneth can be in the room when Nicki gives birth ... a judge just granted his request to tweak his pre-trial release conditions so he can travel with Nicki.

UPDATE

With the court's order in place, KP can travel with Nicki periodically on biz trips as her manager and be there when their baby's born.

Nicki Minaj's husband really wants to be there for the birth of the couple's first child ... a once-in-a-lifetime moment he might have to miss due to his pending criminal case.

Kenneth Petty just submitted legal docs, obtained by TMZ, begging the judge to modify the terms of his pretrial release conditions so he can travel with Nicki periodically on business as her manager and attend the upcoming birth of their baby.

As you know ... Kenneth recently registered as a sex offender in Cali after getting arrested for allegedly failing to do so when he moved to the state with Nicki. Some of the terms of his pretrial release -- he has a curfew and his travel is restricted to California.

According to the docs, Kenneth wants the judge to tweak his release conditions so he can be by Nicki's side if she gives birth outside his curfew hours.

Kenneth says the U.S. Attorney's Office and pretrial services office don't oppose his request, so now it's up to the judge to sign off.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

As we reported ... Nicki announced her pregnancy earlier this month, and it looks like she's at least 6 months along. So the baby could be coming soon.

BTW ... Kenneth's status as a sex offender stems from a 1995 New York conviction for first-degree attempted rape. Petty pled not guilty to failing to register as a sex offender, and a judge recently gave him permission to surf the web.

Now, Kenneth's hoping to go 2-for-2 with the judge.

Originally published -- 7/30 10:33 AM PT

NBA's Jonathan Isaac Stands For National Anthem Here's My Explanation

Jonathan Isaac
LAST MAN STANDING
Courtesy of NBA
UPDATE

2:53 PM PT -- Jonathan Isaac just addressed the media, where he was asked to explain why he didn't kneel or wear a BLM shirt ... and he says a lot of it has to do with his religious beliefs.

UPDATE

Isaac said he believes Black lives do matter ... but doesn't believe the kneeling demonstration or BLM shirt "go hand in hand with supporting Black lives."

UPDATE
Jonathan Issac
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
UPDATE

Isaac went on to explain how the teachings of Jesus Christ influenced his life and decisions ... and insists after much thought, the kneeling demonstration wasn't right for him.

UPDATE

"I think when you look around, racism isn't the only thing that plagues our society, that plagues our nation, that plagues our world, and I feel like coming together on that message that we want to get past not only racism but everything that plagues as a society. The answer to it is the gospel."

UPDATE

We think what Isaac is trying to say is his priority is on following the teachings of Jesus Christ, above all else ... including the Black Lives Matter movement.

Orlando Magic power forward Jonathan Isaac became the first NBA player to stand during the national anthem following the season restart ... deciding against both kneeling and wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt.

The league's coaches, refs and players -- from LeBron James to Zion Williamson -- have been using the anthem demonstrations to raise awareness as games pick back up in Orlando ... a gesture that is being supported by NBA commish Adam Silver.

Isaac became the first player to choose to stand as the anthem was played before the Magic's match-up with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday ... while the rest of the team's players and staffers took a knee.

It's worth noting -- Silver says everyone will have the option to kneel during the anthem without consequence ... despite a league rule requiring players to stand.

The same goes for anyone who wishes to stand -- no one is saying the players HAVE to kneel, either.

So far, Jonathan hasn't commented on his decision to stand publicly -- because the game is currently being played. But, when he does, we'll update here.

Charles Barkley spoke about the demonstrations on Thursday during TNT's "Inside The NBA," saying, "The national anthem means different things to different people."

"I’m glad these guys are unified. If people don’t kneel, they’re not a bad person. I want to make that perfectly clear. I’m glad they had unity, but if we have a guy who doesn’t want to kneel because the anthem means something to him, he should not be vilified."

The Magic released a statement in support of the demonstration, saying, "The DeVos Family and the Orlando Magic organization fully supports Magic players who have chosen to leverage their professional platform to send a peaceful and powerful message condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police, especially against people of color."

"We are proud of the positive impact our players have made and join with them in the belief that sports can bring people together — bridging divides and promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and unity."

Originally published -- 1:08 PM PT

Celeb Twitter Hack FL Teen Arrested as Alleged Mastermind ... 2 More Men Charged

UPDATE

1:57 PM PT -- While the teenager might be the ringleader of the hack, 2 others have been arrested for it as well -- 19-year-old Mason Sheppard from the U.K., and 22-year-old Nima Fazeli of Orlando.

UPDATE

The 2 men were charged in California federal court, though it's unclear if they are facing as many felonies as Clark.

Some of the most high-profile celebs, politicians and business leaders can thank a Florida teen for hacking their Twitter accounts ... according to cops, who've busted the alleged mastermind.

Graham Ivan Clark was arrested Friday morning in Tampa following an investigation into the hack that appeared to be part of a massive Bitcoin scam ... and the 17-year-old is facing a whopping 30 felony charges.

The State Attorney's Office in Hillsborough County says Clark is responsible for the July 15 hack, which as we reported, saw Twitter accounts for Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Jeff Bezos, Mike Bloomberg and Kim Kardashian tweeting out a message asking users to send $1,000 to the same Bitcoin address in return for $2,000.

The scheme was pretty lucrative ... authorities say the hack reeled in more than $100,000 in Bitcoin.

Clark was arrested and booked shortly after 6:30 AM Friday ... according to jail records.

While Clark is only 17 years old, Florida law allows minors to be charged as adults in some cases of financial fraud.

Twitter says the hackers fooled its employees into handing over high-level administrative credentials over the phone in a "spear-phishing attack," which allowed the hackers to target other Twitter employees with access to account support tools and ultimately tweet from the celeb accounts.

Kids these days.

Originally Published -- 1:24 PM PT

Tamar Braxton Released by WE tv ... New Reality Show Will Still Air

UPDATE

11:54 AM PT -- WE tv tells us ... 'Get Ya Life!' will air as it was intended -- the network will not be changing the show or further editing based on Tamar's complaints.

Tamar Braxton's upcoming reality show will still be released, but the network says it's honoring her request and severing ties with her going forward ... following her recent suicide attempt.

WE tv says ... "Tamar Braxton has been an important part of our network family for more than a decade. As she focuses on her health and recovery at what is clearly a difficult and personal time, we will work with her representatives to honor her request to end all future work for the network."

The network adds that it wishes her nothing but the best, and confirms with TMZ that Tamar's new series, 'Get Ya Life!,' will premiere Sept. 10.

Remember, the show was supposed to debut July 30, but got postponed after Tamar's apparent suicide attempt on July 16 at an L.A. hotel. Tamar called it "my attempt to end my pain and my life."

As we reported ... Tamar opened up about the incident, claiming years of mistreatment in reality TV pushed her to the brink. She claims over 2 months ago, she wrote a letter to WE tv asking to be freed from her contract because of the "demise" she was experiencing ... but says her cry for help was ignored.

Sources close to Tamar told us she was upset over her portrayal on the first episode of "Get Ya Life!" and felt she was lied to by producers.

Originally published 11:31 AM PT

Walt Disney & Mickey Mouse Sign Rhode Island Tax Refund Checks Officials: We Goofed Up!!!

Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse are giving away money ... or so it seems after nearly 200 people in Rhode Island mistakenly received tax refund checks signed by the Disney duo.

The hilarious technical error was discovered when some people received checks with a Mickey signature under the general treasurer line, and Walt's name signed under state controller.

Hold on to your mouse ears hat -- Rhode Island officials say this was a technical glitch. The Disney signatures are used by the Rhode Island Division of Taxation on test files. They were never meant to be stamped on the 176 live checks mailed out ... mostly to business owners.

For the record, officials mailed out new checks with the correct signatures. And, in case you're wondering -- Seth Magaziner and Peter Keenan are the state's real treasurer and controller, respectively. Chill out, guys ... you haven't been replaced.

And, here's a fun fact raised by The AP in its report on the tax flub: "Mickey Mouse is the cartoon character that was animator and producer Walt Disney’s first big hit."

You don't say?!

Eric Decker & Jessie James Handful Of Butt ... Best Quarantine Ever!?

Ex-NFL receiver Eric Decker is still making miraculous catches in retirement .... but instead of snagging footballs, he's grabbin' handfuls of his stunning wife!!

The 33-year-old former Broncos and Jets star hit the pool with Jessie James Decker -- sporting a cheetah-print bikini -- and the pics will highlight your Friday.

Of course, Decker retired from the NFL in 2018 ... but you wouldn't be able to tell by his body -- dude is still JACKED!!!

As for JJ, the country singer threw on a skimpy bikini while taking a break from promoting her new cookbook, which hits shelves in September.

The couple even tried throwing the football around for a bit ... and it's safe to say Eric is the only one in the family who was blessed with hands.

Eric and Jessie James got married back in 2013 and have 3 kids together ... and they're proving their marriage is hotter than ever.

Drone 'Karen' Accuses Black Photog of Spying ... 'I'm Calling Redfin!!!'

Seattle Karen
THROWIN' A FUSS
Thomas Samuel/Facebook

A Seattle woman flipped out on a photographer using a drone for real estate photos, accusing him of secretly recording women ... but he thinks her rant was really about seeing a black guy on her block.

The photog, Thomas Samuel, shared video of the incident, in which the latest "Karen" accosts him as he was, in his words, "working and minding his own business."

The vid starts with the woman, who ID's herself as Katelyn, complaining about a drone coming down on her house. She acknowledges that she came out cussing at Thomas and claiming he's filming women.

When Thomas explains he's working for the real estate company Redfin, the woman doesn't buy it ... and angrily says she's going to go call them to verify.

Thomas wrote after the confrontation ... "Just had this woman come at me accusing me of being a criminal and a pervert/creep with my drone bc I was taking pictures of her neighbors house smh."

He added ... "I was hired and working a job, notified the homeowners that I was there and got approval to fly, not to mention I have my FFA Part 107 license to fly drones."

Thomas went on to allege the woman thought the worst of him because he's black.

The irony of it all ... Karen's "Live United" t-shirt.

Antonio Brown Suspended 8 Games ... NFL Finishes Probe

UPDATE

1:09 PM PT -- Brown has accepted his suspension and does not plan to appeal, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.

Antonio Brown asked for it ... and now he got it -- the NFL is suspending the All-Pro WR a whopping 8 games after finishing its probe Friday into a myriad of AB's off-field issues.

The half-a-season ban will begin as soon as Brown signs on with a new team ... the league announced.

"​Antonio Brown was notified today by NFL Special Counsel for Conduct Todd Jones that he has been suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of the 2020 season for multiple violations of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy," league officials said.

"As part of the discipline, Brown was directed to continue his program of counseling and treatment, and that he is expected fully to cooperate with his clinicians.

They added, "Brown was advised that any future violation of the Personal Conduct Policy will likely result in more significant discipline."

Of course, Brown had been under league investigation for nearly a full year for several reasons ... most notably after he was accused in a civil lawsuit of raping his former trainer.

In the suit, Britney Taylor alleged Brown sexually assaulted her on 3 separate occasions ... including a violent rape in 2018.

AB has adamantly denied the claims ... and has fought the suit in court for most of the past year.

Brown was also under investigation after he allegedly sent menacing text messages to a different woman who had accused him of sexual misconduct when she went to his Pittsburgh-area home to paint murals on his wall in 2017.

The NFL also looked into Brown's assault case ... in which he was arrested for allegedly beating up a moving truck driver outside of his Florida mansion in January.

Brown has tried his best to play nice -- apologizing to the league, his family and even cops over the past few months -- but just last week, he went off on the NFL for its investigation.

He claimed the league was dragging its feet ... and it was hurting his career.

With the probe now over ... Brown -- who hasn't played since being cut by the New England Patriots last September -- is free to sign with any team.

Originally published -- 11:42 AM PT