Politix

Andrea Bocelli's uniting President Joe Biden and GOP Speaker of the House Mike Johnson through song ... opening their emotional floodgates during a Capitol Hill performance.

The opera star's one-of-a-kind voice is powerful enough to send chills down anyone's spine ... but for Joe and Mike, his rendition of "Amazing Grace" Thursday morning was truly a spiritual awakening ... bridging the gap between them and moving them both to tears.

Joe even reached for a tissue to dry his eyes as Andrea belted it out, and Rep. Johnson welled up with emotion next to him. For just a moment, both men's political differences seemed to be on the back burner.

JB was particularly thrilled to have started his day on a high note ... leaping to his feet at the end for a thunderous round of applause.

There's clearly nothing better than a musical breather to recharge the political batteries before Joe's campaign trail hits full volume for the 2024 elections.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are standing behind parents advocating against social media companies ... and they're using a viral Mark Zuckerberg moment to underscore their point.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a statement on the social media Senate hearings from Wednesday to the Archewell Foundation's website -- showing support for the victims and detailing some of their own experiences speaking to families who've gone through this.

In the statement, PH and MM applauded parents standing up against huge social media companies, and added, "The best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms" ... all in all, a fairly fluffy, boilerplate statement from the royal couple.

The big news here ... they picked a shot of Zuck from the hearing yesterday as the huge image above their statement -- a pic that captured MZ's surprise apology to parents and victims of child sex exploitation via social media.

As we reported ... Mark was getting grilled during the committee hearing with Senator Josh Hawley peppering him with questions until Zuck was basically forced to turn around and apologize to the crowd at large.

The crowd held up numerous photographs of victims as Mark apologized and made mention of measures he said Meta's taking to stop any other children from becoming victims.

Well, it seems the Sussexes are clearly on the side of the victims and advocates ... unsurprising given their charitable works to combat sex trafficking and child slavery. Plus, they're parents themselves -- and they have a ton of experience dealing with agitators online to boot.

Andrea Bocelli está uniendo al presidente Joe Biden y al presidente republicano de la Cámara Mike Johnson a través de una canción, emocionándolos durante una actuación en el Capitolio.

La voz única de la estrella de la ópera es lo suficientemente potente como para producirle escalofríos por la espina dorsal de cualquiera. Su interpretación de "Amazing Grace" el jueves por la mañana fue realmente un despertar espiritual que llevó a ambos políticos a las lágrimas.

Joe incluso cogió un pañuelo de papel para secarse los ojos mientras Andrea cantaba y Johnson se emocionaba a su lado. Por un momento, las diferencias políticas de ambos hombres parecieron quedar en segundo plano.

Biden estaba particularmente emocionado de haber comenzado su día con una nota alta, saltando a sus pies al final de una atronadora ronda de aplausos.

Está claro que no hay nada mejor que un respiro musical para recargar las pilas políticas antes de que la campaña de Joe se ponga a todo volumen para las elecciones de 2024.

El príncipe Harry y Meghan Markle están apoyando a los padres que están hablando en contra de las empresas detrás de las redes sociales, y están usando una imagen viral de Mark Zuckerberg para subrayar su punto.

El duque y la duquesa de Sussex compartieron en el sitio web de la Fundación Archewell una declaración sobre las audiencias en el Senado relacionadas con las redes sociales que se hicieron el miércoles, en donde mostraron su apoyo a las víctimas y detallaron algunas de sus propias experiencias hablando con familias que han pasado por esto.

En la declaración, Harry y Meghan aplaudieron a los padres que están en contra de las grandes empresas de redes sociales, y agregaron: "La mejor crianza del mundo no puede mantener a los niños a salvo de estas plataformas", en definitiva, una declaración bastante estándar y suave de la pareja real.

La gran noticia aquí es que eligieron una foto de Zuck en la audiencia de ayer como la imagen destacada de su declaración, una foto que captura la sorpresiva disculpa de Mark a los padres y víctimas de la explotación sexual infantil a través de las redes sociales.

Como informamos, Mark estaba siendo acribillado durante la audiencia del comité con el senador Josh Hawley, bombardeado de preguntas, hasta que Zuck se vio obligado a darse la media vuelta y pedir disculpas frente a la multitud en general.

La audiencia presente estaba sosteniendo diferentes fotografías de las víctimas mientras Mark pedía disculpas y mencionaba las medidas que está tomando Meta para evitar que otros niños se conviertan en víctimas.

Bueno, parece que los Sussex están claramente del lado de las víctimas y defensores, nada sorprendente teniendo en cuenta las obras de caridad que apoyan para combatir el tráfico sexual y la esclavitud infantil. Además, ellos mismos son padres y tienen un montón de experiencia en el trato con los haters en línea.

Taylor Swift has no chance of swaying the 2024 election -- this according to Congressman Tim Burchett ... though, a prominent dueling Representative says otherwise.

Rep. Burchett chopped it up with a photog in D.C. Wednesday -- where he said he doesn't care for a TS endorsement ... cause she lost him when she left country music, and he hasn't cared for her since. So, Swift's seal of approval means absolutely nada to him.

Tim's TS loathing doesn't end there ... he says her NFL influence may be significant with more people than ever tuning into the sport ... but he personally hasn't watched a game in years despite being the captain of his high school football team back in '87 ... so, in his mind, her influence can't be that big of a deal.

Basically, he tells the cameraman she's all talk cause she previously came out to speak against Tennessee's Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn ... and it didn't move the needle.

Tim adds that a celeb endorsement doesn't mean much in general ... all it does is just become a scenario where both teams think they've won by bringing in top dogs as backup.

So, that recent poll that showed 18% of voters were "more likely" to vote for a candidate endorsed by Tay? Tim's essentially pouring cold water on it ... saying it's total BS.

While Tim's adamant about his stance, former Tennessee Rep. Jim Cooper, who Taylor endorsed for House of Representatives in 2018, tells TMZ he's got it all wrong -- cause TS' endorsement is the best endorsement you can have -- period.

He says anyone who cares about Taylor having a voice in politics is jealous they didn't get her endorsement ... cause, at the end of the day, she's got a massive 29 million followers on her socials and can easily influence swing states that are really close in numbers.

Also, her fans are well and truly devoted ... meaning they're game for anything, he says.

Jim's a massive Taylor fan ... and says she's handled all politics-related matters with complete brilliance and wholesomeness, which is refreshing. He also can't resist touching on her Travis Kelce romance -- saying it plays out like a Hollywood movie.

Back to Tim though ... he goes on to talk about the current political climate ... expressing hopes more young voters will come out and vote because historically, they don't.

Donald Trump should be cautious about poking the bear when it comes to attacking Taylor Swift ... so says a well-seasoned political talk show host and media personality.

FOX11 anchor and politico Elex Michaelson joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and we asked him about the ramifications of Trump's inner circle vowing to wage a "holy war" on Taylor and any Democrats she may endorse ... which they're reportedly ready to do.

Given Taylor's massive popularity right now -- coupled with the fact that she's dating a star player on an NFL team, who's about to play in the freaking Super Bowl -- Elex says DT and co. should be careful with how his campaign approaches Swift ... especially if it's to attack.

Elex says he worries Trump may wake up a sleeping giant here, and stir up Swifties en masse to hit the ballot box and vote for his opponent, Joe Biden, who is courting TS' endorsement. That might be a preemptively self-own, especially since she hasn't joined the Biden train yet.

Those same voters are also pretty young, for the most part, and that could hurt Trump too ... Elex explains. Considering Taylor has such influence over the youths in this country -- antagonizing her too early may well backfire if Trump goes in hard right now.

Another layer to this is Trump's potential loss being Biden's gain ... Elex points out Biden's struggled with some key demographics, and TS could help reel those voters back in ... at Trump's expense.

Of course, Elex says folks shouldn't be quick to dismiss Trump or write him off ... saying DT usually has a handle on how best to drum up his base. Fact is, he's run successful campaigns before and gotten tons of votes.

Donald Trump debería ser cauteloso a la hora de atacar a Taylor Swift, así lo dice un presentador político y personalidad de los medios de comunicación.

El presentador de FOX11 y político Elex Michaelson se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" el miércoles y le preguntamos acerca de las ramificaciones del círculo íntimo de Trump prometiendo librar una "guerra santa" contra Taylor y cualquier demócrata que pueda apoyar ... que al parecer están dispuestos a llevarle la contra, dice Elex Michaelson

Dada la popularidad masiva de Taylor en este momento, junto con el hecho de que ella está saliendo con un jugador estrella en un equipo de la NFL que está a punto de jugar en el maldito Super Bowl, Elex dice que Trump y compañía deben tener cuidado con la forma en que su campaña se acerca a Swift ... sobre todo si es para atacar.

Elex dice que le preocupa que Trump pueda despertar a un gigante dormido y agitar a los Swifties en masa para que acudan a las urnas y voten a su oponente, Joe Biden, que está cortejando el respaldo de Taylor. Eso podría ser un autoapoyo preventivo, sobre todo porque ella aún no se ha subido al tren de Biden.

Estamos hablando de votantes en su mayoría jóvenes, y eso también podría perjudicar a Trump, explica Elex. Teniendo en cuenta que Taylor tiene tanta influencia sobre los jóvenes de este país, enemistarse con ella demasiado pronto puede resultar contraproducente si Trump entra con fuerza ahora mismo.

Otra capa de esto es la pérdida potencial de Trump ante Biden. Elex señala que Biden ha tenido problemas con algunos grupos demográficos clave, y Taylor podría ayudar a recuperar a esos votantes a expensas de Trump.

Por supuesto, Elex dice que la gente no debe apresurarse en descartar a Trump, diciendo que Donald por lo general tiene un as bajo la manga. El hecho es que ha corrido campañas exitosas antes y consiguió un montón de votos.

Mark Zuckerberg está sintiendo la presión en una audiencia del Senado sobre la crisis de la explotación sexual infantil en Internet, levantándose de su asiento para pedirle disculpas a las familias de las víctimas.

El CEO de Meta estaba en medio de su testimonio el miércoles cuando comenzó a ser interrogado por el senador Josh Hawley, que bombardeó Zuck con preguntas muy certeras.

Zuckerberg apenas puede articular una palabra cuando Hawley le pregunta sobre la respuesta de Meta -o la supuesta falta de ella- a la explotación sexual de menores en Internet... y se ve obligado a dar media vuelta y disculparse.

Levantándose de su silla, Zuck hace un giro de 180 grados y se enfrenta a la audiencia, la cual está llena de padres que sostienen fotos de sus hijos que fueron víctimas de los depredadores que utilizan las redes sociales.

Zuckerberg indica que es la primera vez que se disculpa por este tipo de problemas que ocurren en Facebook e Instagram y dice que Meta está tomando medidas para proteger a los niños.

Otros ejecutivos de medios sociales están testificando también, incluyendo a Evan Spiegel de Snapchat, Shou Zi Chew de TikTok, Linda Yaccarino de X y Jason Citron de Discord, pero los momentos más interesantes han sido reservados para Zuck.

Mark Zuckerberg is being roasted at a Senate hearing on the online child sexual exploitation crisis ... getting up from his hot seat to apologize to victims' families.

The Meta CEO was in the middle of his testimony Wednesday on Capital Hill when he started getting grilled by Sen. Josh Hawley, who bombarded Zuck with questions.

Zuckerberg can barely get a word in as Hawley badgers him on Meta's response, or alleged lack thereof, to kids being sexually exploited online ... and he's pretty much forced to turn around and apologize.

Standing up from his chair, Zuck does a 180 and faces the audience ... which is filled with parents holding up photos of their kids who fell victim to predators using social media.

Zuckerberg indicates it's the first time he's apologized for these sorts of issues happening on Facebook and Instagram ... and he says Meta is taking steps to protect kids.

Other social media executives are testifying too ... including Snapchat's Evan Spiegel, TikTok's Shou Zi Chew, X's Linda Yaccarino and Discord's Jason Citron ... but the most interesting moments have been reserved for Zuck.

Candace Owens is blaming Ice Spice for inducing stupidity in the United States ... a reaction made after her ears got crop-dusted by the superstar rapper's new "Fart" song!!!

On the latest episode of her podcast, Candace moonlighted as a music journalist tackling Ice's new single and rated the track with a proverbial p-u ... nothing but stink!!!

Ice keeps it simple on the new track produced by her longtime producer RIOTUSA, rapping on the chorus ... "Think you the sh**, bitch? You not even the fart/I be goin' hard/I'm breakin' they hearts...Grrah!!!" -- a little too simple for Candace's intellect.

Candace didn't miss the window to throw more shade at Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for making "WAP" back in 2020 ... still an all-time low in her book.

The political pundit also hammered HotNewHipHop's recap of Ice's "Think U The Sh**" -- for its glossy review, where they describe the song as a "bold declaration" to "establish dominance" and something about her "personal prowess."

Plenty of heavy-handed huff ... but one could say the same for CO's declaration Ice's lyrics are ripping apart society's fabric.

It's a fun song for TikTok ... at least for the time being.

El presidente Biden es la última figura pública en opinar sobre la salud mental viral de Elmo, diciendo que la famosa marioneta tenía razón en chekear a la gente, "porque todos estamos sufriendo".

Todo comenzó cuando los seguidores de X  de la estrella de "Plaza Sésamo", comenzaron a compartir sus diferentes traumas en los comentarios a principios de esta semana cuando simplemente se les preguntó "¿Cómo están?". Todo esto ha sido un suceso en internet las últimas 48 horas.

En un tuit de seguimiento, Elmo dijo que estaba contento de haber preguntado - recordándonos a todos la importancia de comprobar con un amigo. No está claro si esa era la intención de Elmo, pero en eso se convirtió.

Bueno, el propio Joe firmó el tweet de Elmo y las implicaciones más amplias de lo que se transformó en ... retweeting para añadir sus propias palabras de sabiduría - escribiendo: "Sé lo difícil que es algunos días para barrer las nubes y llegar a días más soleados."

Volvió a centrarse en nuestro amigo Elmo, reconociendo que su mensaje subyacente daba en el clavo: "Tenemos que estar ahí para los demás, ofrecer nuestra ayuda a un vecino necesitado y, por encima de todo, pedir ayuda cuando la necesitemos". Aunque sea duro, nunca estás solo".

Por supuesto, el mensaje inicial de Elmo hizo arder Internet, con la actriz Rachel Zegler viéndolo como un espacio seguro para ella, admitiendo que estaba "un poco triste". Incluso T-Pain comentó: "Eso es amor y preocupación... está muy bien chekear como está tu gente".

La sección de comentarios también se convirtió en un espacio seguro para que otros hablen de temas tan pequeños como quedarse sin leche, y temas más importantes como el agotamiento, la rutina de 9-5 y la salud mental en general.

Un poco de apoyo Elmo-cional nunca está de más. La gente estaba claramente más que dispuesta a compartir sus problemas y algo más y solo necesitaban a alguien a quien preguntarle.

President Biden is the latest public figure to weigh in on Elmo's viral mental health pop-in -- saying the famed puppet was right to check in on folks ... 'cause we're all hurting.

It all started when the "Sesame Street" star's X followers began trauma-dumping in his comments earlier this week when he asked how everyone was doing ... something that's taken the Internet by storm over the past 48 hours.

In a follow-up tweet, Elmo said he was glad he asked -- reminding us all of the importance of checking in with a friend. Unclear if that was Elmo's intention, but that's what it became.

Welp, Joe himself signed off on Elmo's tweet and the broader implications of what it morphed into ... retweeting it to add his own words of wisdom -- writing, "I know how hard it is some days to sweep the clouds away and get to sunnier days."

He drew focus back to our friend Elmo ... acknowledging his underlying message was spot on, "We have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for help when we need it. Even though it's hard, you're never alone."

Of course, Elmo's initial message sent the Internet ablaze ... with actress Rachel Zegler viewing it as a safe space for her to admit she was "kinda sad." Heck, even T-Pain commented: "That's love, pull up any time bruh ... Check in on your people."

The comments section also became a safe space for others to talk about issues as small as running out of milk for the day ... to more significant topics such as exhaustion, the 9-5 grind, and mental health in general.

One takeaway from this ... a little Elmo-tional support goes a long way. People were clearly more than ready to share their problems and then some -- they just needed someone to ask.

Donald Trump y sus aliados más cercanos están aparentemente preparándose para ir a la batalla contra Taylor Swift y cualquier demócrata que podría terminar recibiendo su apoyo, esto de acuerdo con un nuevo informe.

Rolling Stone dio a conocer algunos detalles tras bambalinas de lo que se está discutiendo últimamente en el círculo de Trump, en particular en lo que respecta a Taylor Swift y la (probable) posibilidad de que apoye a Joe Biden a medida que nos acercamos a las elecciones del 2024.

Por lo que están escuchando, Donald Trump y compañía se están quejando de la posibilidad de que Taylor utilice su enorme influencia para apoyar la candidatura de Biden, tanto es así, de hecho, que Rolling Stones informa que algunos en el equipo de Trump están declarándole una "guerra santa" a la cantante, vaya a saber uno qué diablos eso significa.

El medio dice que el tema de Taylor ha aparecido bastante en la órbita de Trump en los últimos meses, sobre todo porque se ha vuelto cada vez más popular por su vínculo con la NFL últimamente. Cuanto más sube en el inconsciente colectivo (zeitgeist), más humo echa Trump y compañía de rabia.

Rolling Stones incluso afirma que Trump le dijo recientemente a sus confidentes que era "más popular" que Taylor y que tenía una base de fans más leales que ella. El medio continúa diciendo que el expresidente anduvo diciendo que "obviamente" él debería haber sido elegido la Persona del Año de TIME.

Por más descabellado que pueda parecer, ya hay pruebas de que es cierto, especialmente en el frente de la "guerra santa", porque algunos populares sustitutos de Trump han hablado de ello últimamente.

El personaje político Jack Posobiec dijo recientemente frente a una multitud de inclinación MAGA (Make America Great Again) que su lado tenía que pelear fuego contra fuego cuando se trata del efecto Taylor, lanzando estrellas en su propio mundo de que presumiblemente podría agitar su base y llevar a las personas a las urnas por Donald Trump.

Algunas de las estrellas que mencionó son Kid Rock, Ted Nugent y Jon Voight, por nombrar algunos.

A primera vista, parecería que los partidarios de MAGA se sienten como si estuvieran en una lucha por sus vidas, y de acuerdo todos estos informes, ¡parecería que ven a Tay Tay como el anticristo!

Mientras tanto, en realidad, todo lo que Taylor ha hecho, es ir a los partidos de fútbol y animar al equipo de su novio.

Eso, en sí mismo, sin embargo, parece haber desatado a los fanáticos de Trump en todo el país, quienes están lanzando un poco de furia sobre la posibilidad de que Taylor se pueda involucrar en política de nuevo este año.

Donald Trump and his closest aides are apparently ramping up to go to battle with Taylor Swift and any Democrats she might end up endorsing -- this according to a new report.

Rolling Stone dished out some alleged behind-the-scenes deets about what's being discussed lately in Trump world -- particularly as it pertains to T-Swift and the (likely) possibility that she'll throw her weight behind Joe Biden as we get close to the '24 election.

From what they're hearing ... DT and co. are grousing at the prospect of Taylor using her massive influence to support the Biden ticket -- so much so, in fact, that RS reports some in the Trump camp are declaring a "holy war" against her ... whatever the hell that means.

The outlet says that the topic of Taylor has come up in Trump's orbit quite a bit in recent months -- especially as she'd become ever-more popular due to her NFL tie lately. The more she's surged in the zeitgeist, the more Trump and co. have reportedly fumed with anger.

RS even goes so far as to claim that Trump recently told confidants he was "more popular" than Taylor and that he had a more loyal fan base than her as well. The outlet goes on to say Trump was telling people he "obviously" should've been TIME's Person of the Year.

As wild as this might sound, there's already evidence out there that it's true -- especially on the "holy war" front ... 'cause some popular Trump surrogates have talked about it of late.

Political persona Jack Posobiec recently told a MAGA-leaning crowd at an event that their side had to fight fire with fire when it comes to the Taylor effect ... throwing out stars in their own world who could presumably rile up their base and get people to the polls for DT.

Some of the A-listers he mentioned ... Kid Rock, Ted Nugent and Jon Voight, to name a few.

On its face, it would seem MAGA supporters feel like they're in a fight for their lives here -- and based on all these reports ... it would seem they see Tay Tay as the anti-Christ!

Meanwhile, in reality, all Taylor has done, really, is ... just go to football games and cheer.

That, in and of itself though, has apparently triggered Trumpers around the country -- who are throwing a bit of hissy fit over the prospect she might get political again this year.

E. Jean Carroll's daydreaming about a shopping spree funded with $83.3 million of Donald Trump's money ... or, at least, that's the joking thought that came to mind after her heavily publicized trial.

Carroll bantered Tuesday on MSNBC about furthering women's rights ... by splurging on a whole new wardrobe and new shoes while chatting with Rachel Maddow -- and even asked the host if she'd like a brand new penthouse!

Maddow awkwardly shook her head, rebuffing any lavish gifts from Trump's money ... even if it was in the name of female empowerment, as Carroll put it.

The light-hearted exchange raised eyebrows ... especially with Carroll's lawyer, who uncomfortably clarified her client's spending spree was entirely a joke.

Too late ... as some unamused viewers are criticizing Carroll for her "toxic feminism" and making light of the justice system

Others online branded her "disgusting" for making a mockery out of the American justice system -- some even said it was a slap in the face to other victims.

Lil Wayne's controversial comment about Drake getting unfair treatment as a light-skinned lad isn't all that controversial ... at least, from Kevin Gates' viewpoint.

As a fellow delegate of the fairer-skin nation, KG says Wayne's observation is not only valid, but folks like himself and Drizzy have it harder getting people to take them seriously!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Louisiana rap star out in NYC, where he was feeling the love from the Empire State, but said the light-skin hate isn't limited to just being rich and famous.

Wayne recently told Richard Sherman he has direct experience in the colorism debate -- he admitted he used to hate on lighter-shaded kids during his youth, but Kevin says he's made a habit outta laughing in the face of adversity ... so hate away!!!

KG's feeling mighty ceremonious these days -- he just released his 4th studio album "The Ceremony," but also addressed his promo photo shoot ... which folks called a little "zesty."