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The military veteran who got his microphone turned off during a Memorial Day speech when he started talking about Black history is turning the page ... after he says one of the people involved apologized for it.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter tells TMZ ... he received a call Friday from James Garrison in which James told him he's sorry for the events that transpired on Memorial Day at the Ohio cemetery where Kemter spoke.

Garrison is one of the 2 Ohio American Legion Post Officers who allegedly made the call to cut Kemter's mic when he began discussing the role freed Black enslaved people played in the formation of the holiday. The other is Post Officer Cindy Suchan.

Though the Lt. Col. tells us he's only spoken to James and not Cindy, he considers the issue to be resolved and wants to move on.

Kemter adds that he played no part in the American Legion of Ohio calling for Garrison and Suchan to resign over the incident, and so far it seems they've not stepped down. We've reached out to them ... no word back.

The retired vet also says he's been overwhelmed by the response to his speech, with many people thanking him for bringing to light how African-Americans contributed to the first Memorial Day by paying tribute to the Union soldiers who died.

The U.S. government is set to release an unclassified report on UFOs for the first time ever, and while intelligence officials reportedly found no evidence these mysterious, unexplained flying objects are alien spacecraft ... it doesn't discount it either.

According to reports ... the upcoming UFO report -- expected to be delivered to Congress sometime before June 25 -- doesn't completely rule out the possibility that UFOs encountered by Navy pilots in recent years are aliens ... it's just that there's no solid proof.

Instead, the report is expected to confirm that these objects are NOT top-secret American technology ... but could potentially be experimental or hypersonic aircraft of other countries that we have some issues with -- like Russia and China.

Here's the problem ... Navy pilots have seen objects in the air do things that defy any technology known to man. For example, there are images on radar showing spherical objects that have no wings, no engines, no emissions, and they operate in ways that defy physics and gravity.

Navy pilots saw an object at 80,000 feet careen to 20,000 feet in a second-and-a-half. Some of these objects appear to submerge in the ocean, yet submarines found no traces of debris.

Pressure has been mounting for more transparency from the U.S. government about UFOs ever since the Pentagon confirmed the existence of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) back in April.

This has led politicians like Sen. Martin Heinrich and Sen. Marco Rubio to call for more investigating, with Rubio going as far as to say UFOs pose a risk to our national security.

The upcoming report seems like a starting point, but according to outlets like the NY Times ... there's still no explanation from intelligence officials on how these UFOs are able to accelerate and maneuver like they do.

United Airlines is one giant step closer to getting passengers from NYC to London in less than 4 hours.

The airline announced it scooped up 15 supersonic jets dubbed "Overture" from the Denver-based firm Boom Supersonic. The jets can reach a top speed of 1,300 MPH, or Mach 1.7 speeds. Mach 1 is the speed of sound.

To put that into perspective ... United says it "can connect more than 500 destinations in nearly half the time." In addition to the incredibly fast trek from NYC to London ... other potential routes for the Overture include Newark to Frankfurt in 4 hours and San Francisco to Tokyo in 6 hours.

But, don't hold your breath ... United, which has an option to buy an additional 35 more jets, says the Overture won't be flying until 2026 and won't carry passengers until 2029.

And, for the environmentally friendly ... United says its Overture will be the first large commercial aircraft to be net-zero carbon from the get-go. It's also slated to be optimized to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

Up-and-coming Texas rapper Lil Loaded died this weekend ... TMZ has confirmed.

The Dallas Medical Examiner's Officer tells us Loaded -- whose real name is Dashawn Robertson -- died Sunday in Dallas County. An official cause of death hasn't been released, but we're told Cedar Hill Police is investigating.

Loaded's attorney, Ashkan Mehryari, seems to believe his client killed himself ... saying, "Sadly, Mr. Robertson passed away earlier today as a result of a reported suicide."

The young MC reportedly posted an ominous message sometime before his death, which read in part, "Dear most high, please forgive me for my shortcomings and all of the times I’ve fell short of making you proud."

He added, "I ask for entrance into your kingdom thru all of my mistakes. I know you love all your children, and I’m ready for my heart and soul to join you."

LL had recently been charged with manslaughter for the 2020 shooting death of his friend, Khalil Walker, and was supposed to be in court this week over the case ... according to the NY Post. He had been arrested in connection to the killing but was out on bond.

Loaded was signed to Epic Records in 2019 after his song "6locc 6aby" went viral online.

He was only 20 years old.

AEW star Hikaru Shida claims she doesn't "give a s**t" about the announcer who mocked her Japanese accent during a live broadcast ... saying she's "proud" of her race and won't let some idiot make her feel bad.

The person in the crosshairs is Willie Urbina -- a Spanish-language announcer who made the shameful comments on the May 28 Fite TV broadcast of AEW Dynamite.

After the incident, AEW president and CEO Tony Khan fired Urbina ... calling the whole thing a "regrettable situation."

"I didn't think there was any excuse," Khan said ... "I was not happy with it."

Shida had kept quiet in the days following the incident -- claiming she wanted to focus her energy on defending the AEW women's championship belt Sunday night against Britt Baker in front of a live audience.

Shida lost the match -- but afterward, she finally broke her silence on Urbina.

"Didn’t wanna talk about this before my big day, so let me tell you now," Shida said ... "I don’t give a s**t what other people say about my race because I love it and I proud of it."

"And because I know [Urbina is a] fool. I don’t even feel anger. So don’t need to worry about me. Thank you."

They're cominggg ... at least that's what a newly released clip showing UFOs circling a warship off the coast of California seems to suggest.

The radar footage, released by filmmaker Jeremy Corbell, shows multiple objects popping up around the Navy's USS Omaha from an incident in July 2019. The ship was about 125 miles off the coast of San Diego when the footage was recorded.

Corbell showed off actual video footage from the same alleged encounter with the USS Omaha earlier this month, and he believes the radar video is evidence supporting the initial sighting.

“This is corroborative electro-optic data demonstrating a significant UFO event series in a warning area off San Diego,” Corbell tweeted Thursday.

As you know, The Pentagon has recently chimed in, confirming UFOs were real, and that a series of videos showing them appearing in the sky were legit.

Michael Jackson's family -- or at least some of them -- are outraged by the revelations about the BBC's Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana, and they're reportedly considering legal action.

In case you don't remember, Bashir did a documentary in 2003 titled "Living with Michael Jackson." It profiled MJ's life at the Neverland Ranch. During the interview, Bashir lasered in on Jackson's relationship with young boys and the allegations of sexual abuse.

Jackson was unapologetic about sleeping in the same bed as 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo, saying, "Why can't you share your bed? That's the most loving thing to do, to share your bed with someone."

As you know, Jackson was prosecuted for allegedly molesting Arvizo. The jury found MJ not guilty.

In the wake of the report concluding Bashir deceived Princess Diana into doing her famous interview, Jackson's nephew, Taj, and MJ's brother, Tito, now allege Bashir "manipulated footage and unethical journalism."

The pair believe Bashir tricked Jackson the way he tricked Diana. Taj blames Bashir on Michael's death, saying, "Bashir's manipulated footage and unethically journalism is one of the main reasons my uncle Michael is not here today."

Taj wasn't done, adding, "That 2005 trial broke him. Shame on those who provided cover for Bashir. Shame on those who rewarded him. My family deserves an investigation & apology too."

Simone Biles is undoubtedly one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, but she may have just taken top spot with what is considered the hardest vault in women's gymnastics ... EVER.

Simone was competing at the 2021 GK U.S. Classic when she attempted what's called a Yurchenko double pike.

You see the intensity in her face as she prepares, and then races to the vaulting table and hurls herself in the air. You just gotta see it. Amazing!!!

The judges assigned a difficulty value of 6.6 and she scored a 9.5 for her execution.

Simone was happy though subdued, saying, “To finally just put it out in a competition was quite nice, I know it’s not the correct value that we want, but I can still do it, so why not show off my ability and athleticism.”

She goes on to the U.S. Olympic team trials at the end of June, and we're guessing it's almost a foregone conclusion she'll be competing in Tokyo in July.

Bella Hadid took to the streets over the conflict in the Middle East, marching in support of the Palestinians.

The march, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, drew thousands of people who showed their support. Bella, whose father Mohamed Hadid is from Palestine, wore a Keffiyeh, a traditional dress, as she waved a Palestinian flag.

The march fell on Nakba Day, marking the 1948 conflict which resulted in Israel declaring its independence and many Palestinians being displaced.

Both Bella and her sister, Gigi, have been active in speaking out about the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Bella posted photos of the march, saying, "The way my heart feels.. To be around this many beautiful, smart, respectful, loving , kind and generous Palestinians all in one place... it feels whole ! We are a rare breed!!"

Salt Bae is a gigantic hit in Bev Hills, judging from the long line of would-be diners that literally snaked around the corner.

His new restaurant, Nusr-Et, opened a few weeks ago but it was all very quiet. Seems word of mouth did the trick because it's filled to the gills.

Check out the video, and you'll see Salt Bae doin' his thing ... entertaining the crowd with his knife tricks and ... the move that made him famous.

The restaurant is right next door to Spago, which is also filled to capacity, so it's all good between Wolfgang and Salt Bae.

Lots of people were wearing masks as they waited in line ... interesting, considering the CDC's new pronouncement that vaccinated people could shed the coverings.

Phylicia Rashad's more than just a big name added to Howard University's faculty list ... she plans on doing big things as the Dean of the College of Fine Arts.

Provost Anthony K. Wutoh tells TMZ ... when the legendary TV mom takes on her new role at Howard in July, she's made it clear she'll be a present figure on campus and laser-focused from day one on re-establishing the fine arts school as a premier program in the country.

Wutoh says one of Rashad's major focal points will be the new building for the College of Fine Arts and School of Communications, adding that she'll be involved in designing it along with spearheading fundraising.

We're told Phylicia's also very interested in making sure the school's curriculum is contemporary, and she'll be recruiting excellent new faculty members to replace recent retirees. There's also hope she'll be able to expand enrollment in the fine arts majors.

That being said, the actress still has a number of performing obligations -- including 'Creed' in 2022 -- so she will be allowed to balance her work in the acting world with her work as dean. Rashad's stated that she will be a "working artist."

Of course, as soon as "The Cosby Show" star steps on campus she'll instantly become one of Howard's most famous faces, but the provost believes she'll have no problem managing the inevitable attention.

A woman and a toddler were reportedly shot in broad daylight just now in Times Square -- a random act of violence in which the suspected gunman still hasn't been caught.

Cops have swarmed the area and barricaded the streets, where they say gunfire erupted between West 44th Street and 7th Avenue around 2 PM PT. Law enforcement sources tell us one of the bullets struck the woman.

The child is also said to have been hit, but it's unclear where. In any case, both of them were rushed to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition ... so it seems they're gonna make it. We're also hearing that a third person may have also been shot in the chaos.

The most disconcerting part -- besides somebody trying to gun down a lady and a kid in the middle of the day -- is the fact that the person who did this has NOT been caught yet ... as we're told they're still on the loose as of now. That might explain why there's such a massive police presence right now ... presumably, they're scouring the streets for the shooter.

No word yet on a motive, but this appears to have happened out of nowhere ... which makes it all the more terrifying. People captured video of people running upon initial word that a shooting had taken place ... as well clips of the aftermath as cops stood by controlling the crowd and securing the scene. Another video -- taken from an Earth Cam towering above Times Square -- seems to show the exact moment the shots were fired, two of them.

Someone also appears to have snagged video of the moment the victims were rushed into an ambulance by EMTs. Witnesses reportedly say the toddler was bleeding, and the woman was crying. Based on this video, it also looks like some people were booted from the bus.

It's an awful way to help people get ready for the re-opening of Broadway and other NYC venues that have been shuttered during the pandemic. As if folks hadn't already been on edge, this news certainly won't help them feel any safer ... especially considering Times Square is one of the most visible and frequented areas in the city.

If this can happen there, it's not a good omen for what could happen else in NYC.

Italians now have an option for who makes their most beloved food -- their favorite neighborhood pizzaiolo or ... a machine!!! Yeah, some folks ain't happy about option dua.

A company called "Mr. Go Pizza" rolled out pizza vending machines Thursday in Rome -- offering 4 kinds of pie which take just 3 minutes to make, and cost as little as $5. The machine kneads the dough, puts on toppings and bakes ... all in a small glass window, so customers can see the magic.

Well, as you can imagine, in Italy ... not everyone thinks it's magic. A couple early reviews: "Acceptable" if you're in a hurry, while a student from Naples (birthplace of pizza) said it tastes like a bread wrap.

Look, it's one thing if machines/robots wanna take over the world -- we all kind of expect that -- but can't we keep A.I. out of our pizzas???

No word on Mr. Go Pizza's expansion plans, but if it's in Italy today, can Brooklyn, the Jersey Shore and Chicago be far behind?

Remember when DK Metcalf ran 22.64 MPH to stop Arizona Cardinals' Budda Baker from a Pick 6 during the 2020 season?!

... well, the Seattle Seahawks receiver is now taking his speed to a real track -- signing up to sprint in the 100m race at the USTAF Golden Games and Distance Open on Sunday at Mt. SAC.

No joke! The 6'4", 229 pound Pro Bowler will put his speed to the test on May 9 against 16 experienced sprinters in Walnut, California.

And, we mean experienced -- Ronnie Baker is one of the 16 runners and that dude ran a 9.94 in the 100m earlier this year!!!

Keep in mind, Metcalf hasn't competed in a legit track competition since high school -- where his best event was the hurdles and the triple jump (though he also ran the 4x100 relay).

But clearly, DK has world-class speed -- which he put on display back in October when he sprinted 90 yards to chase down fleet-footed AZ Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker, one of the fastest guys in the league.

And, don't forget, he also clocked a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine -- which is insane for someone of DK's size.

The big question ... is DK fast enough to make the US Olympics team? Maybe!

DK would have to crack the 10.05 mark in the 100m race to qualify for the Olympic Trials, according to the USATF.

Yeah, he's a long shot but DK is confident -- even dropping a teaser clip on his social media page.

A metro train in Mexico City careened off the tracks and fell after a railroad bridge collapsed ... a deadly moment that was captured on video.

It happened late Monday night in the southeast area of town. The mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, told reporters it appeared a support beam on the track gave out as the train went over it.

That caused the entire structure to topple ... and sent the rail car careening to the street below, where cars were zipping by. Surveillance video captured the exact second it happened, and it looks like something straight out of a movie -- a horror flick, in this case.

So far, officials say at least 23 people were killed in the tragedy -- including an unspecified amount of children -- and dozens more were hospitalized with varying degrees of injuries.

A boat carrying dozens of people capsized in San Diego, killing 2 and injuring several more -- but it's clear the vessel did more than just flip over ... it was utterly destroyed.

The wreckage happened Sunday off the shores of Point Loma, a peninsula jutting out from SD's mainland. It's unclear what caused the boat -- which was reportedly carrying 25 people total -- to tip ... but once it did, emergency crews were called out to assist.

According to local reports, two people were pronounced dead at the scene ... while the 23 others were transported to area hospitals, with some requiring CPR on the spot.

However, somebody posted footage of the aftermath ... and it appears the boat got torn to pieces in the accident, with people onboard being washed ashore -- not to mention all the debris floating in the water as well. In the video, you hear someone say the boat "blew up."

The severity of the injuries isn't entirely known at this point, but officials have said different people were taken to different hospitals.

A search and rescue mission is underway at the moment to see if there's anybody else still in the water -- and an investigation will ultimately be headed up by the feds, as this appears to have happened in their jurisdiction.