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The Kenosha PD officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times -- and who's avoided state prosecution -- will also not face federal charges.

The U.S. Justice Department said Friday it will not pursue federal criminal charges against Rusten Sheskey. The feds say "the evidence obtained is insufficient to prove that the KPD officer willfully used excessive force."

Remember, Blake was unarmed, back in August 2020, when Sheskey opened fire at point-blank range. Video of the shooting sparked racial justice protests across the country, and led to the Kyle Rittenhouse shooting.

According to the feds ... a team of experienced federal prosecutors from the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence to determine whether the police officer violated any federal laws.

The feds added that "a detailed and lengthy analysis of numerous materials, including police reports, law enforcement accounts, witness statements, affidavits of witnesses, dispatch logs, physical evidence reports, photographs and videos of some portions of the incident."

In essence ... prosecutors say they couldn't establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer "willfully" deprived Jacob of his constitutional rights. The feds say "neither accident, mistake, fear, negligence, nor bad judgment is sufficient to establish a willful federal criminal civil rights violation."

As we reported ... Kenosha County District Attorney Michael D. Graveley also announced back in January that Sheskey would not be charged for the shooting. Graveley said Sheskey acted in self-defense, and it was necessary for the officer to use lethal force to stop Jacob from potentially harming him or others.

The shooting left Jacob paralyzed. The Justice Dept. says it's already informed his family about the decision not to charge Sheskey.

The Waffle House employee holding a baby while she worked didn't just take heat online, but an online scammer also made up a backstory about the incident for financial gain ... TMZ has learned.

As you may know ... a TikTok of the Waffle House worker went viral last weekend, because she was holding a baby while it appeared she was helping the cooks prepare meals.

In researching the incident, a person contacted us claiming to be the employee and gave us a tragic backstory explaining why she was holding the child in the video -- claiming the baby was the child of her dead brother.

This person posing as the employee also told us she was suspended for a week by Waffle House ... all of which we now know is NOT TRUE.

Waffle House's VP of Public Relations, Njeri Boss, tells TMZ ... they investigated the TikTok video and "have determined that the media portrayals and social media posts are not accurate."

Boss adds ... "While an employee of ours was recorded holding a baby at work, she is not related to that baby in any manner, never identified herself as the person in the TikTok video, never provided a CashApp account to receive any donations, never gave an interview to any media outlet, and never was suspended from her job."

Fortunately, TMZ did not include any of the scammer's CashApp info in our story, but some people out there did ... and likely donated to a phony cause.

Waffle House further explains that the employee in the TikTok vid held a baby belonging to her co-worker in an attempt to quickly settle the crying child ... and she's been coached and re-trained on proper safety guidelines going forward.

The restaurant chain adds ... "We caution against further dissemination of that false story and the damages that might result, not to mention the help that might give to support an apparent fraud on the public."

Kim Kardashian is getting some good advice from some of the funniest people on Earth as she gets ready to host "Saturday Night Live."

Production sources tell TMZ … Dave Chappelle, Michelle Wolf, Ellen DeGeneres, Amy Schumer and James Corden have all been helping Kim with her preparation.

We're told the comedy legends have been giving Kim tips on what to include in her monologue, how to perform certain skits and nail comedic delivery.

As we reported, Saturday will mark the first time a Kardashian hosts 'SNL' ... and she's already landed some promo jokes.

Our sources say Kim has been having a blast getting ready for 'SNL' ... and some of the material will be self-deprecating. We're also told she's been very open to all ideas Lorne Michaels and the 'SNL' team have thrown her way. BTW ... good move on her part.

We're told producers and cast in rehearsals say Kim's actually been exceeding the expectations they had for someone without any experience in the comedy world.

Turns out the dude who sat behind home plate at the Dodgers game back in 2016 is NOT one of the most wanted men in the world ... he's just a regular ol' baseball fan who happens to look like the convicted felon who illegally swindled $325 million, authorities say.

As we previously reported, the U.S. Marshals believed they had a credible lead on John Ruffo after a relative believed they spotted him on TV sitting behind home plate at a Dodgers game in 2016.

FYI, Ruffo was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars, but skipped town before serving his time.

The story recently came to light after ABC recently published a podcast on the case.

But, the U.S. Marshals now tell TMZ Sports the fan in question is NOT the fugitive ... he was just a dude who went to a baseball game and landed at the center of one of the biggest sports stories of the week.

After the story blew up, someone recognized their family member as the man in question, and contacted authorities ... who ultimately cleared the guy.

Nicki Minaj showed up for the taping of "The Real Housewives of the Potomac" reunion, causing some folks to wonder if she's changed her tune on getting vaccinated ... but TMZ's learned her vax status is irrelevant.

As you know ... Nicki caused quite a stir last month when she tweeted some COVID vaccine misinformation -- specifically, that her cousin's friend in Trinidad and Tobago had a severe side effect resulting in swollen testicles. She also implied that she was still not vaccinated.

So, with her appearance on the 'RHOP' reunion set Thursday night -- something that came to fruition after she jokingly pitched guest-hosting to Andy Cohen in July -- fans believed she might have gotten vaccinated in order to get the gig.

But, we've learned that's not necessarily the case ... because being vaccinated was not a requirement for the reunion taping.

Instead, Nicki and the 'Housewives' and the rest of the crew only had to comply with local orders in New Jersey ... so in this case, getting a PCR test that came back negative for COVID.

Obviously, everyone who participated in the reunion taping, including Nicki, had a negative test ... but it's still unclear if the rapper's vaxxed or not.

Dwayne Johnson is flexing in a whole new way -- he's jumping on the mic to try his hand at rapping, and he's actually got some flow!!!

The Rock features on the new Tech N9ne track, "Face Off" -- from the new album, "ASIN9NE" -- dropping a few bars at the end of the song. As the old saying goes, rap about what you know, and DJ does just that ... paying homage to his roots and his passion for extreme workouts.

Just a sample of his rhymes -- "It's about tribe, it's about power. We stay hungry, we devour. Put in the work, put in the hours and take what's ours."

There's another line about being Black and Samoan, and the Rock even drops some profanity! Censored, of course.

This isn't the first time he's showed off his musical talents. He's strummed a guitar in the ring during his WWE days, and was also featured in Wyclef Jean's music video for "It Doesn't Matter." He came close to rapping on that song, but this is the first time we've heard him ball out on the mic.

And, talk about synergy ... 'cause in true entrepreneurial spirit Dwayne's already promoting his Project Rock by Under Armour collection by integrating his featured verse in a video of him doing his thing in the gym.

A White Sox fan is fortunate to have avoided serious injury at the team's playoff game Thursday ... because he was struck by a huge haymaker during a fight with Astros fans -- and it was scary.

The violent scrap went down at some point during Houston's win over Chicago at Minute Maid Park ... when a fan in a Tim Anderson jersey got into it with an Astros supporter.

In the footage, filmed by a bystander, you can see the Houston fan poured his drink all over the guy ... who then retaliated by shoving the man down a row of seats.

Immediately after the push, another Astros supporter came in with a monstrous right hand ... connecting with the White Sox fan's left cheek.

The guy in the Anderson jersey hit the floor hard ... but when he got up, he was punched in the face one more time.

Another angle of the fight appears to show the altercation was eventually broken up by other fans in the section.

"If this is what being canceled is like, I love it."

That's how Dave Chappelle greeted the audience Thursday night at the star-studded screening of his new documentary at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl ... after receiving a standing ovation despite the swirling controversy over his new Netflix special, "The Closer."

Dave also railed on Twitter, the media and "all these stupid-ass networks" to the celeb-packed crowd that included Brad Pitt, Tiffany Haddish, Donnell Rawlings and more ... saying, "I’m not talking to them. I’m talking to you. This is real life."

Along with Chappelle dismissing cancel culture in wake of being called out for transphobic jokes and offending the LGBTQ+ community in his new stand-up special, Stevie Wonder also took the stage following the premiere of Dave's 'Untitled' doc to chide the idea of being canceled.

Instead, Stevie said society needs to work on canceling hate and fear and focus on loving each other. Interestingly enough, Chappelle also promoted coming together as people and trusting one another again, and spoke of a "kindness conspiracy" to get it going.

Along with Dave addressing his adoring crowd, other guest performers included Jeff Ross, Michael Buffer, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Jon Hamm and others before Chappelle closed things out by saying ... "Thank god I'm canceled because f**k this shit anyway. I bet you I'll be someone better than you think."

Donald Trump ramped up his anti-immigration rhetoric on TV Thursday night ... telling Sean Hannity the thousands of Haitian migrants believed to be heading to America's border likely have AIDS.

The ex-President did his best DaBaby impression by spewing out ignorant claims about the disease, suggesting on "Hannity" that because Haiti has a "tremendous AIDS problem" ... accepting people from there is "like a death wish for our country."

What Trump's comments ignore, however, is that while there may be a large number of people living with HIV/AIDs in Haiti ... it's impossible to know if those trying to flee the country are afflicted.

Likewise, even if migrants with AIDS are admitted to the U.S. ... it does not equate to a "death wish."

Later in his chat with Hannity, Trump also alleged other countries are "emptying out their prisons into the United States."

Kim Kardashian West's most certainly got the chops to host 'SNL' -- 'cause all it takes is looking better than everyone else on stage.

That's the joke, anyway, in Kim's promo for this weekend's 'SNL' ... which has Kim flanked by musical guest Halsey and cast member Cecily Strong. Yes, it's just a couple of quick bits, but Kim's showing some range ... with help from her pals, of course.

In the first one, Cecily says, "Oh my gosh, this crazy thought just occurred to me in this exact moment right now. Should we start our own girl group?" Halsey and Kim shoot her down with a couple of one-liners.

In the second one, Cecily addresses the elephant in the room ... asking the question we're all wondering: Is Kim nervous about doing sketch comedy? The short answer is no, she's not. Well, watch the promo ... as Kim puts it, "Everyone else won't look as good as me, will they?"

As we reported, this is the first time a Kardashian will take on 'SNL' hosting duties. That being said ... Kim and the fam have often been easy targets for the show's cast and writers.

'RHOBH' producers want to take advantage of a juicy storyline involving Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi -- they're skipping their usual break, and firing up cameras early to shoot a new season.

Production sources tell TMZ … 'RHOBH' producers can't get enough of Erika's various legal and financial problems connected to her estranged husband, so the series is gearing up to go back into production for season 12 on a quick turnaround.

We're told producers feel Erika's storyline is just too good to miss, so they're beginning production several months earlier than normal -- cameras will roll next week with some of the women.

As we've told you ... there's plenty of Erika drama to dig into for the cast -- she filed for divorce from her attorney husband in November, but shortly afterward she was sued for allegedly hiding assets in a "sham divorce."

Not long after that, Tom's assets were frozen and he's currently under investigation amid accusations he stole money intended for families of those who died in the 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia.

It's also alleged Erika’s company, EJ Global, received over $20 million from Tom's law firm ... money meant for his clients.

Erika broke down on camera over the "sham divorce" allegations, denying them in a season 11 episode on 'RHOBH' ... and there's no doubt she's helped carry the ratings.

Machine Gun Kelly's going to be more than okay ... he'll be ecstatic after learning he will NOT be prosecuted for allegedly beating up a parking lot attendant.

TMZ has learned the L.A. City Attorney's Office is rejecting the case ... declining to charge MGK because there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction. Translation: they just don't have enough evidence.

As we first reported, the parking lot attendant accused the musician/actor of battery -- claiming MGK pushed him in the chest near an L.A. location where he and his good pal, Mod Sun, were shooting their movie, "Good Mourning with a U."

Sources, however, told us the parking lot attendant's battery claims were completely false. And, clearly prosecutors didn't think they could prove his claim.

Even if he's off the hook criminally, he's still gotta deal with a lawsuit. The parking lot attendant, John Martin Tilli, filed the suit, alleging MGK and his production crew and staff became aggressive and surrounded him ... before MGK pushed him from the front, while the crew pushed from behind.

Meyers Leonard is breaking his silence and giving his first on-camera interview to TMZ Sports after using an anti-Semitic slur ... addressing the bonds he's formed with the Jewish community, death threats he's received, and his desire to return to the basketball court.

"It's hard to explain," Leonard told us out in Beverly Hills. "The people who have been the most loving and the most compassionate, showing the most grace, have been so many people from the Jewish community."

Remember, 29-year-old Meyers -- the 11th overall pick in the 2012 draft -- dropped the k-word while streaming on Twitch back in March. He was almost immediately traded to the OKC Thunder, who cut him.

Since being released, Leonard has been incredibly active within the Jewish community, including meeting a bunch of kids at a synagogue in Boca Raton ... where he got emotional while discussing the incident with the students.

It's just one of many things Leonard's done to educate himself ... in the process, forging tight bonds with Jewish people of all ages.

"I can honestly sit and talk for an hour about this. About all the different experiences with little kids in the Jewish community, to teenagers, all the way up to Rabbis, who have just been so generous with their time and so understanding."

Meyers says in the wake of the comments, both he and his family had to deal with terrible abuse online, including people threatening to sexually assault and murder his spouse.

"It's been a very, very long and hard process," Leonard says ... "When the death threats, and my wife is being told 'don't leave your house, we're gonna rape you.' And, these things. It was hard. So, a lot of these things are difficult to share, but over time I've been able to heal."

As for Meyers' hoops career, he's gunning to get back in the league ... and says it'd be a dream come true to return to Pat Riley's team.

"I would be ecstatic if I could play for the Miami Heat again. I fell in love with that place, I really did. My wife and I love it there."

Meyers continued ... "There's something about the culture there that's just me."

Whether it's back in South Florida or in another NBA city ... Leonard -- a 9 year NBA vet -- just hopes he has a chance to return to the game he loves.

Before this girl in glasses was lighting up the big screen with her lovable roles, she was just another blonde beauty posing for the camera in Nashville, Tennessee.

This little lady got her start in sweet romantic comedies and broke boundaries for blondes around the world. Her career has been long and filled with success ... she's won two Academy Awards for Best Actress over the span of nearly 10 years.

Recently, this talented actress transitioned from film to television. She currently stars alongside Jennifer Aniston in a wildly popular newsroom drama now streaming its second season.

A man who says he spent 2 decades backpacking with Gary Poste -- the alleged Zodiac killer -- claims Poste definitely had a violent side ... and it showed when he killed animals.

The man goes by the name Will, and he spoke with a member of Case Breakers -- the team of more than 40 various investigators who believe Poste is responsible for the notorious murders in the late '60s -- about his relationship with Gary ... which he says started with Poste helping him with a legal issue.

We're told after that, in 1987, Poste invited Will -- who was just 18 at the time -- to come up to a wooded area in Northern California and hunt with him ... and he regularly did exactly that for the next 20 years.

Will claims during this time, he witnessed Poste kill animals "indiscriminately" and says Gary enjoyed "getting dirty" and bloody. He says Poste killed all sorts of animals and describes his behavior with their carcasses as "chilling."

It's interesting ... police profilers say an obsession with killing animals is a marker of a serial killer. The Zodiac killed his victims in the '70s and then stopped. If Case Breakers is right ... the killer may have turned to animals instead of humans beginning in the '80s.

We're told Will began to have suspicions about Poste being the Zodiac killer after watching a true-crime documentary about serial killers, and in 2014 he fled the woods and his life with Poste. He also felt the sketch of the Zodiac matched Poste.

Will then tried to talk to police and the media about Poste but says nobody would listen to him ... until he got in touch with Case Breakers about a year ago. BTW, Poste died in 2018.

As we told you ... despite what Case Breakers and Will believe, the official authorities -- the Riverside PD and a former San Francisco cop -- don't believe Poste is the infamous killer.

Whether that's true or not ... Will's account of hanging in the woods with a man who didn't have a conscience and slaughtered animals for joy is still incredibly disturbing.

We discussed Poste in this week's episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Urban Meyer's wife is finally speaking out about her husband's infamous bar night ... saying in a social media post, "We all make mistakes - we are all sinners."

"If you think you aren't?" Shelley Meyer added. "Then cast the first stone."

Shelley issued the strong statement Thursday afternoon ... explaining she's quitting Twitter due to all the "hate, vitriol, slander" and "trash" she's received in the wake of Urban dancing with a blonde woman over the weekend.

"To my wonderful followers/friends: THANK YOU," Shelley wrote. "For your love, support, friendship, laughs - I will miss this most. I love you ALL and wish God's blessings on you. Thank you."

What's interesting ... Shelley made no note of standing by Urban or defending his actions -- though Urban did say earlier this week he was confident his 37-year marriage would survive.

In fact, Urban called the whole saga nothing more than a "speed bump" in their relationship.

The Jaguars head coach has apologized repeatedly for the incident and has vowed to grow from it.