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Todd Chrisley thinks his time in prison is actually a mission from God to help others ... which is why he says he's trying to improve prison conditions from the inside.

Todd's attorney, Jay Surgent, tells TMZ ... Todd's encountered "gross negligence and such total disregard for human life and decency from both the staff and just the entire corrections system," while at FPC Pensacola in Florida.

Todd says he feels blessed to have a platform where he can cast light on the issues he and other inmates face daily. As we reported, Todd claims he's been mistreated while locked up.

We're told the things Todd has witnessed behind cell bars are nothing short of cruel, which is why he's planning on using his time, energy, and resources to make prison life tolerable. As for the cruel treatment ... his lawyer says Todd once saw a man suffer a seizure and didn't get help for more than an hour.

Specifically, Jay says Todd's planning to launch programs and resources to help address the problems he says countless inmates are facing. A rep for the Federal Bureau of Prisons tells TMZ ... "While we decline to comment on anecdotal allegations, we can emphatically assure you the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all individuals in our population, our staff, and the public. Humane treatment of the men and women in our custody is a top priority."

Todd was given a 12-year sentence, while his wife, Julie, was sentenced to 7 years ... after the 2 were convicted in their bank fraud and tax evasion trial. BTW, their sentences were reduced last month -- Todd got 2 years off, and Julie got 1 off.

For Jen Shah, birthdays hit different in federal lockup ... because instead of going out for a fancy sushi dinner, she had to settle for the prison version of that delicacy.

Jen's good friend and former assistant, Murilo Bueno, tells TMZ ... the reality TV star's fellow inmates celebrated her October 4 birthday by making her "prison sushi" ... which consists of premade spring rolls wrapped in sticky rice.

We're told Jen's inmate friends at FPC Bryan in Texas asked her what she would do for her birthday if she wasn't behind bars, and when she told them she was craving sushi ... they did their best to make it happen, using whatever they could gather from the commissary.

Forget the raw fish -- they're not flying that stuff into federal prisons -- instead, her fellow inmates cooked sticky rice in hot water, wrapped that around those pre-made spring rolls and boom -- bootleg sushi roll!!! Yum?

We're also told Jen chowed down on prison-style quesadillas ... tortillas and cheese from the commissary grilled on a flat iron normally used to straighten hair.

For dessert, Jen's friend says they served "prison pineapple upside down cheesecake" ... which probably sounds better than it tastes. Murilo says a can of pineapples is involved, but she's unsure about the other ingredients. Use your imagination.

TMZ broke the story, Jen started serving her 6.5-year prison sentence back in February after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Her sentence has since been reduced by 1 year, and this is her first birthday behind bars.

Dodgers great Steve Garvey is channeling his inner Tommy Lasorda on the campaign trail ... telling TMZ Sports he's evoking the late Hall of Fame manager's legendary mentality as he runs for U.S. Senate in California.

74-year-old Garvey is sliding into politics as he aims to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat next year ... and while a Republican hasn't held the position in decades, he is confident he can be the one to change that.

"Everybody has always said, 'Oh, you want to run for the Senate in California? Well, that's probably the most difficult race in America. Good luck, God bless, but if anybody can do it, you can,' which I think it was always encouraging," Garvey tells us.

In fact, the World Series champion says he's been getting love from some rival fan bases who used to boo him on the baseball diamond ... which was one sign he needed to run.

"Recently, I had a San Francisco Giants fan come up to me and say, ‘Garvey, I hate the Dodgers, but I'm gonna vote for you,'" Garvey added. "And I think that closed the deal."

"That and having Democrats come up and say they've never voted for a Republican, conservative, but I'm gonna vote for you because I know you, I know you care about me and my family. And we need your voice in Washington."

Garvey says he's running a common sense campaign ... and quality-of-life issues, public safety and education will be his main focus in office.

As for his former teammates, Garvey says the responses he's been getting from them have been "heartwarming" ... and they'll love the message he'll convey as he connects with Californians before they hit the voting booths -- as it's one they have heard before.

"Tommy Lasorda, a great manager and father figure and Hall of Famer, he used to say in key moments, 'You gotta believe.' Maybe that's going to be our theme. You know, everybody's saying, 'Oh, no, you can't win in California.' But we believe, and the people are going to believe that I can go to Washington and represent them."

Lasorda is one of the all-time greats -- he won two World Series titles as the Dodgers' skipper ... and the organization retired his No. 2 jersey in 1997.

American social media influencer and YouTuber, Olivia Jade -- daughter of "Full House" star Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli -- popped off in the media back back in 2019.

Of course, Olivia became a popular name during the University of Southern California scandal, however with over 1 million followers on both Instagram and YouTube to date, Olivia has spent the past few years rebuilding her brand and has cashed in with her sponsorships.

Today, Olivia takes to her social media platforms and YouTube channel to vlog all things day-to-day like cooking, vacations and organization.

Drake's adding to his jewelry collection with a new piece of custom bling, paying homage to his hometown and his favorite pro sports teams.

Champagne Papi's latest addition is dubbed the "Crown Jewel of Toronto" by celeb jeweler Alex Moss, the creator behind Drake's new piece.

As you see, Drake ordered a huge diamond chain with an even bigger iced-out pendant ... featuring logos for the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, the NBA's Toronto Raptors and MLB's Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto's famed CN Tower is also featured prominently ... with the Raptors and Blue Jays mascots surrounding the famous building from the city skyline.

Drake's dangling some pretty big carrots with all these carats ... he says any Toronto team that wins a championship gets to hang on to the bling for the entire offseason ... kind of like hockey's Stanley Cup trophy tradition.

The Blue Jays got bounced from postseason baseball last week without winning a game, but there's hope for the Maple Leafs and Raptors ... the NHL and NBA seasons are just getting started.

Floyd Mayweather felt compelled to help after watching the Hamas terror attack, so the boxing legend arranged to send his private plane, chock-full of supplies, to the front lines in Israel.

TMZ Sports is told Floyd, who teamed up with a relief organization in Israel, arranged to send "Air Mayweather" to the Middle Eastern country this weekend ... and deliver supplies.

We're told they're planning to bring everything from food and water to bulletproof vests for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and civilians.

Mayweather's pilots, AJ Ramey, Chris Javier, Sam Kniskern, and Freeman Blakney, will be flying the plane as they trek thousands of miles across the world.

It's not the first time Floyd's helped in a time of disaster. In fact, over the summer, he helped 70 families with food, shelter, and transportation after the Maui fires.

While many celebs and athletes have spoken out since the weekend's horrific attacks, Floyd's one of the most prominent.

Also, while some famous people have attempted to appease all sides, Mayweather has made it clear ... he's firmly with the Israelis.

"I stand with Israel against the Hamas terrorists. Hamas do not represent the people of Palestine but are a terrorist group that are attacking innocent lives! I stand for all humans and wish for the safe return of all Americans and Israelis and any human that were kidnapped as hostages during these horrific war crimes."

"This is not a time for politics. This is a time for safety first and foremost. God Bless America. God Bless Israel. God Bless Human Kind!"

In a follow-up post on social media, Mayweather again reiterated his support, and condemned terrorism.

YG's baby mama, Catelyn Sparks, was involved in an unfortunate accident, resulting in the death of an 89-year-old woman ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sparks was driving her 2023 Tesla in L.A. Wednesday when the crash occurred. We're told the other woman -- driving a 1985 Cadillac -- made a U-turn in front of Catelyn's vehicle, and Catelyn struck the woman's driver-side door.

The 89-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene ... and Catelyn was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Our law enforcement sources tell us Catelyn did not commit a crime, no drugs or alcohol were involved, and the crash was the result of an accident.

It's not totally clear if YG and Catelyn are currently together, they've got 2 kids, but their relationship has had it's ups and downs. It was back in May when the rapper and Saweetie were spotted on a romantic trip down in Cabo ... locking lips in the pool.

Shortly after the photos went public, Catelyn posted a cryptic message on social media, writing, "Just because we got the same blood don't make us family & just because we got kids don't make us family, cuz with 'family' like mine? I rather not have any."

Gigi Hadid is breaking her silence on the slaughter in Israel ... condemning the murder of "innocent people" ... while pledging her ongoing support for Palestine.

The supermodel shared her thoughts on Tuesday, saying she has "deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation," while underscoring "a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person."

Gigi, who is of Palestinian descent, goes on to say "The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the 'Free Palestine' movement." She goes on to say, "The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back&forth retaliation."

She bristles at "the false idea" that being Pro-Palestine is antisemitic.

She ends the post, saying, "every human deserves basic rights, treatment and security; no matter their nationality, religion, ethnicity or where they were born."

Gigi and her sister, Bella, have been criticized for sharing their anti-Israeli thoughts online -- especially in a 2021 post that claimed Israel wasn't a country, but instead a colonized land.

The remaining chunks from the Titan sub are still being picked up from the ocean floor, even months after it imploded and killed all passengers aboard.

More material from the tragedy was recovered last week, but just got announced Tuesday by the U.S. Coast Guard -- which says their marine safety engineers have scooped additional pieces of the submersible from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

As far as what exactly they recovered ... the sub's titanium endcap, among other unidentified parts. The Coast Guard says it also found more "presumed human remains." The remains are going to be transported for further analysis.

This marks the second plunge the U.S. Coast Guard has undertaken ... the first was done way back in June, when the 5 people inside were confirmed to have perished. During that initial outing, much of the submersible was found ... and it looked awfully crumpled.

Remember, the whole point of the mission -- through private company, OceanGate -- was to take tourists down to see the famous sunken ship. While it had completed successful dives in the past ... this one proved to be ill-fated and deadly.

OceanGate's CEO, Stockton Rush, was among those onboard. The other passengers who died included Paul Henri-Nargeolet, Hamish Hardin, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman.

There's at least half a dozen American citizens who are unaccounted for in Israel following deadly attacks from Hamas ... including a mother and daughter visiting from Illinois.

President Joe Biden says 14 Americans have already died in the Hamas terrorist attack, with the death toll already standing at 1,700 and counting.

It's unclear if the six Americans reported missing in Gaza are dead or alive, but their families are holding out hope for a safe return ... and Biden says more Americans are likely among those who have been taken hostage by terrorists.

In addition to the Illinois mother and her teen daughter, there's also a 23-year-old who was at the music festival where Hamas attacked and took hostages; a soldier with the Israeli Defense Force; a 35-year-old father of two; and a 66-year-old grandmother.

Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Raanan traveled from their Chicago-area suburb to Israel last month to visit relatives, and they were reported missing during Saturday's attack and are feared to have been kidnapped by Palestinian gunmen, their family told ABC 7 Chicago.

Natalie graduated from high school this past spring and their Illinois synagogue is praying she and her mother are safe.

Hersch Goldberg-Polin was at the desert music festival that became a target for Hamas terrorists ... and his parents told the Jerusalem Post he texted them Saturday morning saying "I love you" and "I'm sorry" before going radio silent.

Hersch was born in Berkley, CA before moving to Israel with his family in 2008 ... he had just celebrated a birthday before going to the rave, where Hamas killed hundreds of festivalgoers.

Itay Chen's a 19-year-old dual citizen serving in the IDF and he's been "missing in action" from his post in Gaza since Saturday, his father told CNN.

Chen's father says his son basically vanished along with his military unit and the family is hopeful he surfaces in time to make it to his younger brother's upcoming Bar Mitzvah in Italy.

Adrienne Neta, a mother of four and grandmother of seven, is thought to have been taken hostage by Hamas ... her family told Fox News they think she was kidnapped from her home, where she's lived for decades since moving from Fresno, Calif.

Neta's family says they were on the phone with her when terrorists entered her home ... and they heard her screaming.

Sagui Dekel-Chen, a father of two with another baby on the way, was among those in his neighborhood who fought back against a terrorist onslaught before going missing.

UFC fighter Natan Levy says he's currently around 25-30 miles away from the heinous attacks Hamas is unleashing on his native Israel ... and the scene is horrifying.

The 32-year-old flew to Israel just a few days before the weekend wave of terror began ... and simply intended to spend time with his family at a cousin's wedding.

But, Tuesday on "TMZ Live," he told us about the moment all their plans changed, and they went into survival mode.

Natan said he and his family fled to a bunker as soon as they heard sirens in the area, but thought it was "just missiles" ... something that's, sadly, fairly common. Initially, they didn't realize the terrorists were invading on foot and killing civilians.

He adds, "What's happening -- it's not far from here. It's a war zone, and it's just by the hand of God I'm not there inside the war zone."

Citing the reports of Hamas beheading babies and burning others alive ... Natan said he's hoping Israel's severe retaliation continues.

"I think we're going to have to attack -- they've left us no choice," he said. "Hopefully the least amount of civilians get hurt, but all of the blood is on their hands."

Alec Baldwin might not be out of the woods in the 'Rust' criminal case, because the possibility of prosecutors refiling charges is still looming ... depending on what they learn about docs related to the movie's preproduction planning.

A judge recently made a major ruling after prosecutors in New Mexico asked for documents to be turned over tied to any contracts between Baldwin and the production companies working on the movie. Those docs could shed light on how the production dealt with weapons training and safety on the set, and whether any corners were cut to save money.

Hizzoner weighed in on the matter and decided the records needed to be forked over to the D.A.'s office.

The movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- who's still facing an involuntary manslaughter charge -- has been arguing the production companies basically hamstrung her and prevented her from doing her job properly. She's claimed she was denied additional firearm training ... saying producers cited a tight budget as the reason.

Depending on what's found in the handed over docs, it could possibly spell new trouble for Baldwin.

Remember, he was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, but in April that was dropped. Now, it's possible he could be charged again.

Dorothy Hoffner, the 104-year-old Chicago woman who set the record for the oldest tandem skydive, died in her sleep just days after the monumental jump.

Hoffner made worldwide news just 10 days ago on October 1, when she became the oldest living person to jump out of a plane ... when she went skydiving at Skydive Chicago.

The record is still being confirmed by Guinness, but Dorothy toppled the previous record held by a 103-year-old Swedish woman who jumped in 2022.

Youngster.

As far as the timing, it appears to be nothing more than a coincidence. Dorothy died in her sleep.

In fact, Hoffner was over the moon after the jump, telling local media ... “Skydiving is a wonderful experience, and it’s nothing to be afraid of. Just do it!”

Skydive Chicago even released a statement on Dorothy's passing ... and they believe there's a lesson to be learned here about living.

“We are deeply saddened by Dorothy’s passing, and feel honored to have been part of making her world record skydive a reality,” the company said.

Britney Spears got busted on the road last month -- receiving a slap on the wrist for driving without some crucial documentation in her vehicle ... TMZ has confirmed.

The pop star was pulled over on Sept. 10 by a CHP officer in Ventura County -- where she got cited for two infractions ... according to court records. One of the violations was for driving without a valid license in her possession, the other was for driving without proof of insurance.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Britney was first pulled over for speeding in her white Mercedes, going 61 mph in a 40 mph zone. We're told Britney was cooperative during the stop, and was given a warning for her speed.

Fortunately for her, she'll be able to deal with the infractions by paying a fine by Oct. 24. The total she owes ... $1,140.

The traffic infraction certainly isn't great, but there's a lot happening in Britney's life with everything else going on with her these days ... y'know, knives and all.

Mary Lou Retton -- an Olympic gold-winning gymnast  -- is currently fighting for her life in the ICU ... this according to her daughter, who says her mom is battling a rare form of pneumonia.

McKenna Kelley shared the sad news on Tuesday via her Instagram story with a photo of a SpotFund account that she started for Retton's medical costs.

"Please help my mom continue to fight," Kelley said in the post.

The fundraiser says the 55-year-old former athlete is unable to breathe on her own due to the rare form of pneumonia.

"Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details," Keller said on the page. "However, I will disclose that she not insured."

"We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill."

Kelley added, "ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!"

The fundraiser has a goal of $50k and as of Tuesday, over 79 donors have contributed.

"If anyone can WIN we know it’s YOU! GEAUX MARYLOU!" one fan said on the page. "We are praying hard for you from La!"

Retton was a massive star in gymnastics ... in fact, she made history as the first American woman to win the all-around gold in the 1984 Olympics. She also won two silvers and bronzes that same year.

After retiring, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997 and was the first woman to be selected into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

There are reports of babies being killed amid the chaos in Israel -- including graphic descriptions of Hamas terrorists going in and beheading infants.

One particular news story is making rounds -- coming from i24News's Nicole Zedek, who did a live shot this week alongside Israeli soldiers near the Gaza border ... and she says different military members have told her about dead babies being found in the aftermath.

As these soldiers have gone through the homes of people attacked over the weekend, they're now saying they're finding evidence of infanticide ... including beheadings.

Some images showing the apparent aftermath of these brutal killings are also surfacing online -- and they seem to show exactly what i24News is talking about ... namely, blood splattered across cribs and baby rooms inside of residential homes.

There are extra photos that show car seats covered in blood as well ... further proving that little ones have not been spared in this offensive from Hamas. That much has been clear in additional footage as well -- including one viral clip showing a dog being shot in a yard.

It goes without saying ... these sightings are deeply disturbing -- and just further evidence speaking to the sheer ugliness and horror of what's happening on the ground there.

BTW, young lives are being taken on both sides now -- amid retaliation on Gaza, including ongoing bombings, there's a viral video showing a baby's body being lifted from the rubble.

There's no end in sight at this point ... and the destruction continues to mount day by day.