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Sen. Mitch McConnell's attempts to backtrack his remark about Black voters aren't flying with some people ... especially the leader of Black Voters Matter.

LaTosha Brown, who co-founded the group, tells TMZ ... the Senate Minority Leader's comments weren't shocking, but most certainly disturbing, because she says the comment was rooted in racism.

She admits McConnell probably didn't intend to say what he said, but LaTosha believes that's what he believes ... so, it just came out. As she puts it, "The lips will betray the heart."

As you know, Sen. McConnell's come under fire for the comment that certainly sounded like he doesn't view Black people as Americans. He said, "Well, the concern is misplaced, because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans."

What made it even worse was the fact he said it just before leading the push to defeat the John Lewis Voting Rights Act in the Senate. In fact, McConnell was attempting to explain why he thinks there's no need for the legislation.

Hidden behind this stretched-out snap is a woman known for making headlines with her royal family.

After marrying into the British monarch, she became a cultural icon for everyone -- not just for people in her home country, but for the many fans across the pond as well.

Jon Hamm doesn't like to be left out, especially if Hollywood's boarding the Apple train without him ... which he made perfectly clear in an ad that would make Don Draper blush.

The smooth-talking actor is featured in a new campaign from Apple TV+ that made its debut this weekend during primetime NFL playoff coverage -- and the consensus seems to be ... damn, that was a good spot. Even more illuminating ... JH is pretty freaking funny!!!

Check it out ... the commercial shows Jon hanging out at home on the couch and surfing through Apple TV+'s many offerings -- with Jon scoffing at the fact that there's all these celebs plastered on the screen, but no sign of him anywhere.

He then asks the camera ... "Hey, Apple -- did I do something to offend you?" He goes on to pitch himself as someone worthy of a show or movie, like all his famous pals seem to have these days, and even makes a fake phone call to Tom Hanks ... which is hilarious.

Apple hits the point home ... they've got all the stars on their roster -- except one, that is. Of course, by hiring him for the ad, they nabbed their man in the end after all. Clever, clever.

Like we said, the commercial's a big hit and even went viral Saturday ... with many saying it was Super Bowl worthy, even though the game is still weeks away. And as for Jon's comedic chops -- well, that sorta took people aback as well ... since he's a big drama (genre) guy.

Kanye West doesn't wanna argue with paparazzi anymore -- he just wants to share the wealth ... especially if they're planning on filming him in public.

Ye had a bit of a tense convo Saturday while leaving Miami after chillin' with DJ Khaled and friends -- coming face to face with a pap at the airport who tried asking him a few simple questions. Right off the bat, KW tells him he's not in the mood to be photographed.

The pap plays it cool and calm, and eventually ... Kanye tells him how he really feels about the fact that they guy's making money off the interview. And that feeling is ... fine, but let me get in on it too!!!

Check out Kanye's rationale here -- he basically says he thinks he should be able to control how his image is used, including MOTS run-ins like this. He notes that's not how the law works -- which is correct -- but insists ... he's gonna work to turn that around for celebs.

In the end, Kanye and the paps following him actually end on good terms -- with Ye meeting up GF Julia Fox ... and them going through a bit of logistical juggling on how the heck they were gonna get out of there (who's got Ye's ticket???).

Pretty interesting insight from Ye -- especially since he alludes to his alleged not-so-nice face-off with an autograph hound in L.A. -- and it's good to see he's found a more constructive way to deal with the media.

Elon Musk seems ready to start putting microchips in people's brains, 'cause his company aiming to do just that is hiring ... wanting someone who can head up clinical trials. 👀

The richest man on earth has a company called Neuralink, which aims to treat people with neurological diseases and afflictions -- like paralysis -- and get them moving again ... or more specifically, help them move things with nothing but the power of their minds.

It's a fascinating field, and Neuralink is trying to break through here with tech that'll go right into folks' craniums ... which they seem to be getting closer to now, as the company is currently hiring for a Clinical Trial Director ... one who'll presumably be working on humans.

Up until now, Neuralink's brain chip studies have been limited to monkeys and pigs -- and based on results they've shown off, it seems to be as magical as it is hyped.

Take this macaque, for example, which Neuralink says got one of their chips implanted. In the video, it looks like the primate is using a joystick to play a video game that tests hand-eye coordination -- but soon you realize, it's doing it all with its mind ... 'cause the control stick isn't connected to anything. It's simply there to act as fake-out for the animal.

That's what Elon and co. wanna do for humans who've lost function in their hands or legs -- based on their vision, those people will be able to control electronics (like phones and such) with nothing but a thought, and at lightning quick speed too. They've even talked about being able to download memories ... not just in your noggin, but like ... into robots and stuff.

The possibilities, they say, are endless.

Now, this was all teased a couple years back, but now that Neuralink is actively hiring for a Clinical Trial Director and Coordinator -- it appears they're on track for Elon's timeline ... the guy said he wanted to get chips into real-life noodles by sometime this year.

You can read the listings for yourself to see who exactly they're looking for -- but it's obvious they're taking this mission seriously ... and want the best and the brightest working on it.

Kanye West might be able to swap out the boots he's been wearing for weeks on end for something more comfortable and caj -- and it's all thanks to DJ Khaled hooking him up!

DJK gifted Ye a sweet pair of Jordans Saturday during what appears to have been a hangout/collab session at Khaled's pad down in Miami ... where KW was with his crew, and his new boo too -- Julia Fox.

Anyway, check out the sneakers Khaled had all lined up ... and how Kanye reacts upon receiving 'em. It's a super nice gesture, especially considering how rare they apparently are. As Khaled notes, there's only 100 pairs made ... and lucky enough he had some in Kanye's size.

Khaled says he can use the shoes for an upcoming Fashion Week event that Ye's supposed to be attending ... and Kanye seems appreciative of the present.

Of course, they didn't just talk kicks during their time together ... indeed, it looks like Ye and Khaled got to work on some actual music -- much of which was teased on his social media.

No word on what their collab might sound like just yet, but it sure seems Ye and Khaled were feeling it ... dancing around the studio like two little kids having the time of their lives. This is far from their first time making music with one another -- but it's been a while, no doubt.

Fans' demands for Idris Elba to play James Bond are NOT falling on deaf ears for those who can make it happen ... because he seems to be at the forefront of their minds.

Two producers who are key to the franchise, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, dished about Daniel Craig's final outing as the MI6 agent ... and gave a bit of insight into who could potentially succeed him in future installments -- and sure enough, Idris came up.

During an appearance on the 'Crew Call' podcast this week, Broccoli and Wilson were asked if they'd had any discussions with IE about taking on the mantle ... amid a massive push from the fanbase to get the guy in Bond's iconic tux.

Check it out ... BB says she actually knows Idris personally, adding they're friends -- which seems to answer the question. Namely, yes, she has presumably chatted with him about it.

She goes on to say that Idris has certainly been part of the conversation as someone who could possibly carry on the legacy -- but as for whose convo, exactly, she leaves it kinda vague. Obviously his involvement has been discussed at length among normies ... but Barb makes it sound like his name has been tossed around among the '007' honchos, too.

Of course, she totally hedges and pulls back (as she has often when asked about this lately) and says they aren't even seriously considering names just yet ... wanting to give DC his victory lap while "No Time to Die" is still in theaters.

Still, the fact that the host mentioned calls for Pierce Brosnan to be tapped back in the late '80s/'90s -- and the fact it actually manifested -- seems to confirm ... these Bond gatekeepers listen to what the fans want, age be damned!

We only mention that because some say Idris is too old to play JB, even though Craig is actually older than him at 53 ... not to mention Roger Moore playing Bond well into his '50s.

Justin Bieber needs to vacate the Prince of Pop throne immediately, because his replacement's ready to take a seat -- and that person would be ... The Weeknd.

Abel just hit a new milestone that places him a notch above JB -- at least as far as Spotify numbers are concerned. The Weeknd has become the #1 artist with the most monthly listeners on the music app ... clocking in at about 85.6 million.

That's a healthy amount more than where the Biebs was last year, when he claimed the top spot at 83.3 mil ... and having held the record since for a consecutive 190 days.

Of course, if you've been following along ... you know Abel's been hot on Justin's tail for a minute -- even when the latter hit that benchmark, The Weeknd was #2 at the time ... and with the release of his new hit album, "Dawn FM," it seems to have put him over the top.

The record is getting rave reviews, and is soaring on the charts too -- this not too long after 2020's wildly successful run with "After Hours" ... which is still helping Abel to this day, we're sure.

Now, while The Weeknd is technically deserving of the Prince of Pop title with the achievement ... some say he's still got some work to do, because Justin's got a little leverage on him with an all-time high Spotify record that no one seems to have matched just yet.

While TW has surpassed Justin's average monthly listeners ... it looks like Bieber might hold the ultimate honor, after hitting a peak of 94.6M listeners at one point during his reign.

Regina King's only son has tragically died.

Ian Alexander Jr. took his own life Wednesday, according to law enforcement, the day he turned 26.

Ian is the son of Ian Alexander Sr., who married Regina in 1997. They were together 10 years before divorcing.

Regina said, "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you."

Regina and her son would sometimes walk the red carpet together for events and it was apparent how proud she was of him.

As for tributes ... they are cascading in ... "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Garcelle Beauvais said, "My heart breaks for you @ReginaKing Ian was sweet & kind."

Marc Lamont Hill echoed that ... "Sending all of my love and condolences to Regina King. I pray that she's surrounded by love and healing energy."

Ian once said of Regina, "She's just a super mom. She doesn't really let bad workdays or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. It's really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with."

When Regina turned 50 in 2021, Ian posted this on Instagram ... "Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry and gangsta. To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable. The whole marvel universe ain't got s*** on you, your the real superhero! Love you mom! This day and everyday YO DAY!!"

And ... just a couple of months before he died, Ian posted a throwback pic of him, his mom and a friend, with the caption ... "My joys 🥰."

Ian was 26.

Mark Cuban is offering the general public a way to get the healthcare they need at a truly affordable price ... and all it took was a little less corporate greed. Whodathunkit?!?

The Mavs owner/entrepreneur just launched an online pharmacy that sounds too good to be true -- providing more than 100 common generic drugs ... practically at cost. In other words, the medications are significantly cheaper than most anywhere else on the marketplace.

It's called the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Company, and it operates as a prescription drug wholesaler ... buying these meds directly from manufacturers, and doesn't gratuitously price hike upon reselling them on his site ... unlike a lot of other pharmaceutical companies.

Now, Mark and co. don't wanna fool anyone -- they are turning a bit of a profit in their endeavor here ... acknowledging upfront there's a 15% markup on their drugs, plus a small pharmacist fee of $3 (and slight shipping costs too). Plus, you gotta pay for their drugs out of pocket.

Still ... it ultimately comes out to a smaller price tag than what you may pay otherwise through your insurance copay or by other means (coupons) at just about any other pill depot.

Also, MC's markup isn't anywhere near the usual 100% (or oftentimes way more) gouging you'll see elsewhere on the market. An example ... imatinib -- a common leukemia treatment -- is being offered through MCCPDC for just $47/mo. ... whereas it normally retails for nearly $10k/mo.

And, get this ... Mark's price is still cheaper than the cheapest option already out there ($120/mo.), so you actually are getting the best deal. Ditto for mesalamine (an ulcerative colitis treatment) and colchicine (gout) ... among dozens and dozens of other generic drugs.

Mark's business model is being as "radically transparent" as possible ... to help as many people as possible, so it's truly a humanitarian effort in spirit.

Don't worry if your medication isn't available on their site just yet either -- Mark says they're working quickly to add a lot more, and are gearing up for the opening of a plant in Dallas to help make this operation run even more smoothly. On its face ... this is pretty incredible.

Adele is super upset over pulling the plug on her Vegas shows, and she offered some of her fans a drink as a token of her gratitude for sticking with her ... but then she quickly took it back. We can explain.

Adele FaceTimed a group of fans who flew to Vegas to watch her kick off her residency Friday night at Caesars Palace. As we reported, Adele put the show on ice for now, because she says half her crew has COVID and certain set pieces haven't arrived ... presumably a supply chain issue.

Well, somehow Adele ended up FaceTiming with a bunch of young fans and offered them a drink token as a token of her appreciation. But, then she realized most were underage so she quickly took it back!

She pivoted and offered them a free gift back at her pop-up store ... which had Adele-emblazoned clothes and other items inside. BTW ... the sweatshirts are priced between $90 and $110 a pop. And, hilariously, she was selling "Cry Your Heart Out" packages of Kleenex.

There's been mixed reaction to Adele postponing her shows. Lots of fans say they understand, but some say Adele should have gone on with the show, even if it was just sitting on a stool and singing, because her voice is why people come.

Lots of people ended up spending a fortune to see the show ... some of the seats cost $12k and even more. There are also hotel and airline expenses.

Bill Maher is back!!! And boy, this one's a doozy ... a plan for Democrats to stay in power after the 2024 election ... and it involves Joe Biden, Barack Obama and gay marriage.

This is going to sound absurd on its face ... but there's a hugely important message behind the farce, so play along. Maher says Republicans have changed the rules and even flouted the law with zero shame to get their way ... and Democrats need to do the same thing.

Maher says whether fair or not, Biden doesn't seem to be a winning candidate in '24. He ticks off others like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders but dismisses them too.

So, who then? Bill says the only person who Democrats will swarm to the polls to vote for is Barack Obama.

So, here's his plan ... Obama and Biden divorce their wives (but only in title ... they'd still be together) and then marry each other. Obama goes back into the White House and becomes a de facto Prez.

Now, Bill's still gotta learn the lingo ... he calls Obama "First Lady." Bill, it's "First Gentleman." It's 2022.

Now, don't misunderstand his point. Maher is saying Democrats are losing to Republicans because of rule adherence, something scoffed at by the GOP. Bill wants the Dems to pull a Gus -- Remember the movie, "Gus," where a mule became a kicker for a football team after the team argued there was no specific rule preventing mules from becoming team members?

He's not really saying Obama and Biden should marry ... he's making a do-or-die point.

BTW ... in case you're wondering, Biden couldn't pick Obama as his VP ... the 12th Amendment prohibits a Vice President from being elected if they're not qualified to be President, and Obama can't become Prez again because of the 2-term limit.

Julia Fox is scoffing at folks who think she's a clout chaser for dating Kanye West, saying she's so not in it for the fame.

Julia addressed the doubters on her "Forbidden Fruits" podcast Friday, saying she couldn't care less about the attention she's getting.

The "Uncut Gems" star put it this way ... "People are like 'Oh, you're only in it for the fame, you're in it for the clout, you're in it for the money.' Honey, I've dated billionaires my entire adult life, let's keep it real."

Well, dating a billionaire doesn't automatically raise your profile ... but dating Kanye sure does.  But, she goes in hard, saying fame's not her thing anymore.

And, speaking of fame, Julia talked about partying with Ye, Madonna, Antonio Brown, Floyd Mayweather, etc at a restaurant a few days back. She says ... "I was actually supposed to be at dinner for just Madonna and I. All of these other celebs crashed [the party]."

Arnold Schwarzenegger was just involved in a bad car accident  ... so bad his monster SUV rolled over on top of another car, and that driver was badly injured.

Arnold was driving a Yukon SUV when it collided with a red Prius at around 5:00 PM PT.  His SUV started to roll and ended up on top of the Prius, then continued rolling to the left into a Porsche Taycan.

One eyewitness says it was crazy ... it looked like a stunt in a movie. The collision was intense enough that the airbags deployed on the Yukon.

The woman who was driving the Prius was injured -- bleeding heavily from her head. We're told an ambulance took her to the hospital.

Arnold, we're told, is OK and is deeply concerned about the injured woman. An Arnold source tells TMZ he wants to personally check up on her.

Jake Steinfeld of "Body By Jake" fame was apparently at the scene at the time of the crash and that's him in the photo (above) with Arnold. The two are close friends. In fact, when Arnold was Governor of California, Jake was the Chairman of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.

One of the witnesses says it appeared the Prius was on Sunset Blvd and Arnold was on Sunset turning left in the opposite direction when the collision occurred.

At the time of this post, Arnold is still at the accident scene, which is about a mile from his home.

Meat Loaf would stick to the old adage of the show must go on, and Caleb Johnson -- who sings in the late rocker's band -- says that's exactly what the Neverland Express plans to do.

The season 13 'American Idol' champ is doing his best to fill Meat's shoes on the BAT tour, and he tells TMZ ... he's confident the boss wouldn't want them to quit just because he's no longer here.

Instead, Caleb says Meat Loaf's band will keep plugging along with their Music of Meat Loaf shows ... and they're planning some tributes to the man behind the music.

Caleb got Meat Loaf's blessing a few years back to become the lead singer for Neverland Express ... and they've been touring since 2018, with Meat Loaf even joining them on stage last year during a show in Nashville.

As you know ... Meat Loaf died Thursday night after falling critically ill with COVID.

It's a sad moment for the rock world, but Caleb says the band plans to take the stage for its next scheduled show Feb. 4 in Uncasville, CT ... because that's what Meat Loaf would have wanted.

Still, Caleb admits he will be feeling the pressure to keep Meat's legacy alive ... explaining why it's so hard to sing the man's famous rock tunes.

The Green M&M is the best she's ever been, at least that's what the woman who voiced the candy character thinks -- and she says it's time everyone hopped on board with being more open-minded.

This week, the candy's parent company announced the M&M characters will undergo a big makeover to become more inclusive. One obvious example is the green M&M, known to be a stereotypical, sexy and seductive woman.

Now Green is gonna tone things down, turning in her white go-go boots and beat face for a pair of sporty sneakers.

Larissa Murray, the woman who previously voiced the green M&M for commercials tells TMZ ... this is a good thing. She says we're all a little bit more woke now than we were 10 or 20 years ago -- so, it's time to move forward and embrace the change.

Larissa says the changes -- particularly Green's toned down makeup -- embraces the notion you can wear trainers and look a little boyish ... but still look sexy. As she put it, non-binary can be sexy, too.

Some M&M superfans on social media are criticizing the changes, saying they want the OGs back, and they should be hotter.

Not to judge, but ya gotta wonder about folks who want sexy-looking candy.