Bahamas Nightmare Vid Shows Chaos After Teen Jumps from Cruise ... Search Called Off

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LOST IN DARK WATERS

A multi-day search for a Louisiana teen who jumped from a sunset cruise in the Bahamas has come to its tragic end -- and the last known sighting of him was caught on harrowing video.

Footage has surfaced showing 18-year-old Cameron Robbins -- who'd just graduated high school in Baton Rouge -- swimming in the open seas at night near Athol Island last week ... where he was on a sunset cruise with a bunch of his peers celebrating their achievement.

Word is Cameron went overboard on his own accord, and not just that -- but, apparently, it was on a dare. In the clip, you can kinda tell his buddies were getting a kick out of it.

That is until he vanished behind the boat and out of view of everyone, who began screaming at him to grab a life preserver that'd been thrown to him -- which was pretty far away, and he didn't end up reaching it. Once he disappeared, everyone began to panic.

Since he went missing, a multi-day search was undertaken by both Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard -- but Robbins was never found, and the search has now been called off after several unsuccessful days of scouring the area for any sign of him.

It sounds like Cameron is presumed dead, as the Coast Guard issued a statement saying ... "We offer our sincerest condolences to Cameron Robbins' family and friends." His family flew into the Bahamas last week, and prayer vigils have been held for him for a few days now.

His family has also spoken out ... "The Bahamas government has called off the rescue for Cameron and we are returning to Baton Rouge. We want to thank the Bahamas government, the U.S. Coast Guard, the United Cajun Navy, and Congressman Garrett Graves for everything they have done for us. In this time of grief, we thank our family, friends, and well-wishers for granting us the privacy we need to properly remember our son and mourn his loss."

RIP

Ralph Yarl Shows Up To Brain Injury Fundraiser ... Signs Of Progress After Last Month's Shooting

Ralph Yarl, the Black teen who was shot in the head after walking up to the wrong house last month, was at a charity event for a good cause ... helping others who have ended up in situations similar to his in one of his first outings since the near-death experience.

The 17-year-old Missouri student was at the “Going the Distance for Brain Injury” run-walk event in Kansas City Monday -- the same city where he was shot 2 times -- including in the head -- just over a month before by 84-year-old Andrew Lester.

Ralph's mom, Cleo Nagbe, told local outlet KMBC she's extremely grateful for the outpouring of support she's been receiving for her son. In regards to the event, she says, "Socially it’s still hard for him. So, I’m glad he was able to overcome this. I pray that he will overcome most of his social hurdles after doing this."

You'll recall, Ralph was attempting to pick up his siblings when he mistakenly approached Lester's home, resulting in Lester shooting the teenager twice ... he's since been dealing with a serious brain injury but is luckily alive after the terrifying incident.

Lee Merritt, attorney for the Yarl family, told TMZ the part of Ralph's brain that deals with emotion and stress was damaged, so his doctor didn't give him the green light to return to school due to all the social interactions.

Ralph also got an invite from Ahmaud Arbery's mom, Wanda, to join her at a 5K race earlier this month, but his fam didn't think the time was right to be in a social setting, especially after the school denial.

Looks like Ralph's doing better on that road to recovery -- seemingly well enough to take to the Kansas City event.

Target Protester Destroys Target Sign ... The Hatred is Palpable

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TEARING UP TARGET

Here's how insane the culture wars have gotten ... people are now vandalizing Target stores and destroying Pride signs, and that's not all.

A guy named Ethan Schmidt, a radically right-wing internet personality, paid a visit to a Target store and ripped down a "#TakePride" sign around an LGBTQ clothes rack.

His anger and hatred are palpable in the video.

Target has been just that -- a target for featuring LGBTQ apparel and other items. In addition to the boycott which has already cost the chain $9 billion, employees have been harassed. That led to a decision to move some of the LGBTQ items, which infuriated people from the community. It's the proverbial rock-and-a-hard place.

There have been other, more subtle gestures, like someone who left a case of Bud Light next to an LGBTQ display.

Now there are folks attacking the store for not having a display honoring the military on Memorial Day. One of the protesters proclaimed, "You're going to go down like Budweiser."

As the United States is on the brink of financial calamity, gun violence is destroying thousands of lives a year, and the world feels on the brink of war ... the big issue for some in the United States is rainbow lunch boxes.

Ron DeSantis Declaring Presidential Bid On Twitter with Elon

Ron DeSantis is making his presidential run official with the help of Elon Musk, jumping on the bird app with its owner to make the big announcement -- something the tech mogul is, no doubt, seeing as a MAJOR win.

TMZ has confirmed ... the current Florida Governor will join Elon in a Twitter spaces chat Wednesday to announce he is, indeed, throwing his hat in the 2024 presidential race.

Tech entrepreneur David Sacks will moderate the meeting, and DeSantis will drop his first campaign video around the same time.

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TUCKER RETURNS

As you know, Elon's been pushing to get Twitter to become more like mainstream TV ... after ex-FOX News host Tucker Carlson took to the platform earlier this month to say he'd be launching a "new version" of his show on Twitter ... which Elon quickly embraced.

Following Tucker's announcement, Elon called out Don Lemon -- who's also out of a gig -- to have him come over to the same app and start his own show ... digging at CNN's ratings by adding, "Maybe worth a try. Audience is much bigger."

Looks like Elon's tryin' hard to get as many eyes on his platform as possible, and if recent history is any indication ... politics is the perfect way to do that.

As for Gov. DeSantis, announcing on Twitter seems like a shot across the bow of Donald Trump's campaign ... as the ex-Prez used to be Commander-in-Chief of tweeting. Y'know, back before the Jan. 6 insurrection.

White House Scare U-Haul Driver Carrying Nazi Flag ... Crashes Near Presidential Palace

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WHAT THE TRUCK
Storyful
UPDATE

6:30 AM PT -- The driver of the truck has been identified as 19-year-old, Sai Varshith Kandula, from Missouri. He was arrested on multiple charges, including threatening to kill or harm a president, vice president or family member.

UPDATE

The White House almost got an unwanted visitor Monday night ... a U-Haul driver carrying a Nazi flag careened into security barriers right across the street from where President Joe Biden sleeps.

Secret Service rep Anthony Guglielmi tweeted ... the truck driver crashed into a barricade in Lafayette Square around 10 PM ... but, according to a witness who spoke to CBS, the suspect was actually aiming for the White House a stone's throw away.

Guglielmi said no one was injured and the cause of the accident was under investigation, but he suggested the driver might have intentionally rammed the barriers.

Police rapidly descended on the scene and arrested the driver, who had the Nazi flag on him. Law enforcement sources told CBS the man is an American citizen who made threats against President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The suspect -- whose name was not disclosed -- had no guns, knives or explosives.

Police sources also told CBS ... the man was not on any FBI watch lists and did not appear to have a significant rap sheet.

Federal authorities charged the man with assault with a dangerous weapon (the truck), reckless operation of a motor vehicle, a threaten to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president or family member and destruction of federal property and trespassing.

Originally Published -- 5:43 AM PT

Dollar Store Takedown Employee Chases Down, Hits Alleged Thief with Car ... Crazy Video Shows

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HIT & RUN

One dollar store employee appears to be taking security detail into her own hands ... taking down an alleged shoplifter with her own damn car!

Check out the doorbell footage, taken earlier this month ... the guy riding a bike with a basket full of goodies gets absolutely NAILED by the employee's ride, sending him straight to the concrete -- and scattering the alleged stolen items all over someone's yard.

The man starts picking some stuff up before she whacks him with the car door -- but he doesn't give up once all seems lost, calling her a "b****" while still trying to recover some of his lost merch. She even chucks his bike away from him as he keeps cussin' her out!

It's a pretty insane clip ... she claims this isn't the first time stuff has been swiped from her store, and he even says he's gonna press charges after he got knocked off his bike -- but she clearly couldn't care less, peeling off as he walks away with his hands full of whatever he could grab.

It's currently unclear if the man was arrested.

Caitlyn Jenner Rips Transgender Woman in Sorority ... Sisters Living 'in Constant Fear'

Caitlyn Jenner is backing the University of Wyoming sorority sisters who claim they're being menaced by a transgender member in their house.

Caitlyn's sounding off about the Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters suing their sorority for letting 21-year-old Artemis Langford join their chapter last year. In the suit, the women say they now "live in constant fear in our home" ... because they allege 6'2, 260 lbs. Artemis gets physically aroused around them.

Caitlyn made her views clear, tweeting, "The person is not a true trans. They are a sexually deviant perv who hangs around a female sorority watching young women undress with a visible erection!"

She goes on to refer to Artemis as a male, calling them a "mentally disturbed person."

Caitlyn also puts a good chunk of the blame on the sorority for letting Artemis into the sisterhood, calling on others to either drop out of their chapters or refuse to join in solidarity.

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"YOU'RE NOT A WOMAN!"
Fox News

Jenner shared her brash thoughts on Fox News, bluntly saying to Artemis ... "You're not a woman, and you do not belong in women's spaces."

Caitlyn's caught some flak already, as she normally does when taking stances like this, but she also has a good amount of support from followers ... cheering her on and echoing her beliefs.

Artificial Intelligence Existential Threat to U.S. Democracy ... Expert Urges Action!!!

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THE DANGERS OF AI
TMZ.com

Artificial Intelligence poses some serious risks and could potentially threaten the very fabric of our democracy ... so says AI expert Gary Marcus, who is urging Congress to implement strong guard rails.

Gary joined us on "TMZ Live," a day after he testified before Congress ... warning about the future of AI machines and urging them to take local, national, and global measures.

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GROWING CONCERNS

Having worked extensively with AI, he feels morally responsible for warning the public about the risks ... and there are plenty. He agreed some genies are already out of the bottle -- all the more reason to slow the technology with regulations.

Gary says that while some large language models are here to stay, chatbots pose a serious threat. He emphasizes that this technology has the power to influence ways of thinking and manipulate users ... and that boils over to the political realm and threatens our democracy.

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MAKING FAKE NEWS

Remember, even former President Trump shared a doctored Anderson Cooper clip from the CNN town hall. That one wasn't AI, but it makes you wonder how much worse it could be if someone used AI to distribute misinformation. Of course, some of this tech has already infiltrated the music industry.

Gary says it's only a matter of time before these machines surpass us humans ... so the time to act is now.

Elon Musk Corrected by Twitter After False Statement About TX Shooter's Neo-Nazi Ties

Not even Elon Musk can escape Twitter's community notes -- aimed at dispelling misinformation and lies on the platform -- though one note, correcting Elon himself, has seemingly disappeared.

The Twitter honcho sat down with CNBC Tuesday in an interview that's making a lot of noise ... namely because of what Elon falsely stated about the gunman who killed 8 people at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas earlier this month.

It was widely reported, and confirmed by The TX Dept. of Public Safety, that the shooter had neo-Nazi tattoos and beliefs, and wore a patch that said, “RWDS,” an acronym for Right Wing Death Squad.

However, Musk claimed to CNBC, "there's no proof he is" a white supremacist and, "We should not be ascribing things to white supremacy if it's false."

One Twitter user noticed Elon's gaffe, and posted the CNBC clip with the caption, "Musk doubles down on his claims that there's no evidence the Allen, Texas mall shooter had white supremacist beliefs."

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DOULBING DOWN
CNBC

That tweet was quickly flagged by Twitter community notes, with a footnote that read, "Texas police have confirmed that Allen mall shooter "had neo-Nazi tattoos and beliefs" and wore a patch signifying "right wing death squad."

While the community note was present Tuesday night, it had been deleted by Wednesday morning ... though it's unclear why, or if Elon had anything to do with getting it removed, as it only served to correct something he falsely stated.

San Francisco Shoplifter Shooting Video Shows Moment Alleged Thief Is Killed ... No Charges Filed

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SHOT BY SECURITY
San Fransisco D.A.

A security guard fatally gunned down a shoplifter at a Walgreens in San Francisco ... and the entire violent encounter was captured on surveillance video.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins released the footage Monday to show why she declined to bring charges against Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony for killing Banko Brown at the store on April 27 in what Anthony says was self-defense.

The video starts off with Anthony blocking Brown -- carrying a bag of alleged stolen items -- from exiting the store. Anthony then goes after Brown, repeatedly punching him and placing him in a chokehold.

At one point, Anthony lifts Brown off his feet and throws him to the floor, getting on top of him as the two thrash around. Finally, Anthony lets him up, prompting Brown to grab the bag of merchandise and start for the exit. At the door, Brown whirls around and appears to make a move at Anthony, who then pulls a gun and opens fire, killing the alleged thief.

Anthony told cops that he ordered Brown to give back the stolen goods, but Brown refused and became aggressive. He also told police Brown threatened to stab him, although it was later determined Brown did not have a knife. Anthony said he ultimately shot Brown after he thought Brown -- upon turning around at the exit -- was going to take a run at him.

D.A. Jenkins clearly believed Anthony's story of self-defense because she did not charge him with a crime and released the security footage, police reports and witness accounts to prove to the public that she made the correct decision.

But not everyone was convinced.

Shamann Walton, a member of the SF Board of Supervisors, issued a statement, calling Brown's death an execution and questioning whether there was any perceived threat.

'Godfather Of Poker' Doyle Brunson Dead At 89

Doyle Brunson, best known as "The Godfather of Poker" and one of the most dominant figures in the game, has died.

Brunson passed away Sunday, according to his agent, Brian Balsbaugh. His cause of death was not disclosed.

Balsbaugh posted a statement to Twitter from Brunson's family ... "It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our father, Doyle Brunson. He was a beloved Christian man, husband, father and grandfather."

The message continued, "We’ll have more to say over the coming days as we honor his legacy. Please keep Doyle and our family in your prayers. May he rest in peace."

Brunson was affectionately named 'Texas Dolly' after the press misinterpreted a similar nickname, but the label stuck. With his unique moniker, Brunson won 10 World Series of Poker tournaments, second only to Phil Hellmuth's 16 victories.

The Texas-born, cards competing icon also secured back-to-back world championships -- in 1976 and 1977 -- and was later inducted into the 1988 Poker Hall of Fame.

Brunson was the first player to ever win $1 million in poker tournaments, earning him the “Godfather” title. He also penned a popular book called, "Super System," which detailed poker strategies and was instrumental in luring people to the game.

At his last poker championship in 2016, Brunson came in sixth, but his poor performance did not stain his reputation as arguably the best player ever.

His influence even touched those beyond the poker world. Actor James Woods tweeted in part, "This one is a heartbreaker. Doyle Brunson, the greatest poker player who ever lived, has cashed in his chips. A gentleman and a genuine legend."

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

Brunson was 89.

RIP

Donald Trump Posts Fake Anderson Clip ... Trump Ripped CNN a 'New Ass****!!!'

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MAKING FAKE NEWS

Donald Trump's piling on CNN in the wake of his town hall by posting a doctored clip of Anderson Cooper saying Trump owned CNN during the event ... but with far more colorful language.

Trump is clearly relishing the fact CNN is getting tons of blowback from the left for giving him a platform -- and he spiked the football with this fake video of Anderson reacting to the end of the town hall. As the crowd roars for Trump, you see Anderson say "That was President Donald J. Trump ripping us a new ass****."

Put politics aside, for just a moment, and the clip is pretty hilarious. However, it's also a stark reminder of just how petty and self-congratulatory Trump can be.

Trump didn't produce the spoof -- it was uploaded by YouTube user, "Borg Clone" -- but the ex-prez clearly endorses the message ... which is that Trump's getting the last laugh on the network that hosted him.

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WHAT WAS THAT
CNN

As we reported ... Anderson Cooper, the real one, addressed the backlash against CNN by saying viewers shouldn't wall themselves off from Trump, or any politician, just because they hate their policies or personality.

We're sure Anderson still stands by that, but Trump's sophomoric showboating has gotta make it a little harder.

Anderson Cooper Blasts Trump While Defending CNN ... After Town Hall Outrage

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WHAT WAS THAT
CNN

Anderson Cooper's bashing former President Donald Trump for "disturbing" behavior and remarks during CNN's town hall -- but he's also responding to the waves of people dragging the network for giving Trump a platform.

He addressed the outrage Thursday night as tempers continue flaring over Wednesday's town hall by calling out Trump's "lie after lie after lie," and inappropriate name-calling toward moderator, Kaitlan Collins, amongst other shocking moments.

Cooper acknowledged the anger toward CNN, saying people have every right to never tune in to the network again -- but then defended CNN by pointing out a cold, hard truth: Whether you like it or not, DT is the Republican frontrunner for president, and shutting out someone because you don't share their beliefs just isn't a healthy reality.

As you know, many called for CNN to boot Trump from their network ahead of Wednesday night's town hall -- especially after he was found liable this week in his battery and defamation trial with E. Jean Carroll.

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THEY'RE INFECTED
CNN

As for why CNN viewers, or Trump haters, shouldn't look away -- Anderson says the roaring applause during some of Trump's bombastic comments should strike fear in people, as he says it was a sampling of roughly half the nation.

For what it's worth, the town hall drew more than 3 million pairs of eyeballs -- way higher than CNN's typical viewership around the same time, so the country was definitely watching it all go down. For better or worse.

Massive Peloton Recall 2.2M Exercise Bikes Seat Posts Breaking, People Gettin' Hurt!

Peloton has issued a MASSIVE recall on its ever-popular exercise bikes ... because instead of people breaking a sweat during a workout, some are breaking bones.

The company ordered the recall Thursday of about 2.2 million of the PL01 model ... according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the seat posts can break while users take a ride, creating a serious fall risk and other injury hazards.

Peloton says there have already been 35 reports of the seat post breaking and detaching during use, with 13 reports of injuries like a fractured wrist, bruises, and even cuts due to folks falling off the bikes -- yikes.

For those unaware, this isn't Peloton's first time recalling products ... it did the same in 2021 for 125K treadmills following children-related injuries, and even one that tragically died.

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"TAKE ANOTHER RIDE"
Peloton

The company had to do damage control after "And Just Like That..." featured the shocking death of Mr. Big while riding a Peloton, which obviously isn't a great look. In response, they poked fun at the whole thing with a pretty cheeky ad campaign.

Peloton's lookin' more and more like a dangerous game ... maybe it's time to take a hike, literally.

Elon Musk Makes Play for Don Lemon on Twitter After Tucker Carlson Launch

Elon Musk is making a push to land a Don Lemon show on Twitter, just as Tucker Carlson's started his own show on the platform -- and Elon's goal seems to be balancing right and left.

Elon made his pitch to Don Wednesday morning with a tweet inviting him to do a show on the bird app. He included a dig at CNN's ratings, saying, "Maybe worth a try. Audience is much bigger."

The move comes after Tucker's Tuesday video tweet, announcing he'd be launching a "new version" of his TV show on Twitter -- a move that was quickly welcomed by the platform's owner.

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TUCKER RETURNS

Elon boasted, "On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique and refute whatever [Tucker] or anyone may say."

He also made it clear he's not involved in Tucker's show or programming -- "We have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever. Tucker is subject to the same rules & rewards of all content creators."

Of course, Don and Tucker were fired from CNN and Fox News, respectively, on the same day last month. On the heels of Carlson's announcement, Elon said he wanted more content creators, "particularly from the left" to follow suit.

He clearly thinks Don should be one of them.

BTW ... TMZ broke a story about News Nation pushing hard to land Lemon and Carlson. We're told the cable channel's cooled on both of them due to the news about Tucker's racist text messages, and Don's low ratings at CNN.

Donald Trump Goes Nuclear on E. Jean Carroll, Judge ... After Losing $5 Million Jury Sexual Abuse Verdict

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IT'S A SCAM

Donald Trump ripped into his perceived enemies Tuesday night after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll civil trial.

The 45th President posted a series of videos to his Truth Social platform, condemning Carroll, the judge and jury in the case and New York City where the trial was held.

As you probably know, Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million in damages for abusing her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the '90s and then defaming her years later by calling her a liar.

In the footage, Trump first directed his ire toward Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, labeling him a "Trump-hating, Clinton-appointed judge, who went out of his way to make sure that the result was as negative as it could possibly be."

The 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner also said the jury was from an "anti-Trump area," meaning NYC, a place where he could never get a fair trial. BTW ... the verdict was unanimous and quick.

Trump then said he would appeal the jury's decision because he doesn't know Carroll from a hole in the wall. He went on to say the trial was a "scam" and "political witch hunt" (No surprise there). He also said the verdict was a "disgrace to our country."

And he wasn't done yet. Trump described Carroll as a liar whose case was financed by Democratic operatives, but it wasn't clear who he was referring to. He also mentioned fighting back against “this stuff,” implying a rigged justice system, so the country doesn't fall into an abyss.

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DONNIE'S DEPOSITION

As for why the jury ruled against him ... jurors heard him via taped deposition say for a million years male celebs have groped women, adding "unfortunately or fortunately."

Of course, Trump's legal woes might only just be starting. Last month, he was criminally indicted in the Stormy Daniels hush money case in Manhattan.

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DONALD VS DANIELS
CNN

He also faces possible criminal charges in two federal cases involving the January 6th riots and for allegedly pilfering classified government documents.

Trump could also face a criminal indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, over his purported role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Old news is old news!
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