Floyd Mayweather Visits Israel ... Prays At Western Wall, Hangs W/ IDF

Floyd Mayweather sent thousands of pounds of supplies to Israel in October, and now the boxing legend has delivered himself ... touching down in Tel Aviv, and lifting the spirits of soldiers, rescue workers, and civilians.

Since the October 7 Hamas attack, you'd be hard-pressed to find a celebrity more outwardly supportive of the Israeli cause than the 50-0 fighter ... but Floyd wanted to do more, so he hopped on his private jet and flew to Israel, where he recently touched down in Tel Aviv.

031324_floyd_mayweather_jr-kal
IN THE RING

Mayweather has been all over the place, including a stop at an Israel Defense Forces base where we're told he hosted a BBQ for the military!

Of course, Floyd's one of the greatest boxers ever ... and since the IDF base had a boxing ring, Mayweather sparred with some of the IDF. No word if he took his first L.

Floyd also made a stop at the headquarters of United Hatzalah, an ambulatory service, in Jerusalem ... in addition to the Magen David Adom blood bank.

Mayweather, who is in Israel with friends Jona Rechnitz and Avi Hiaeve (of Avi & Co.), spent time at the Western Wall, a holy site ... where we're told he prayed for peace.

Floyd was gifted a custom blinged-out TMT kippah from Rabbi Steven Burg, in addition to an awesome Star of David necklace pendant from the jewelers at Diamond Club Miami.

031324_floyd_mayweather_dancing_v2_1793273
Rooftop Rally
TMZSports.com

Last but not least, Mayweather received a one-of-a-kind painting as well ... which was presented to him, from Israeli musician Osher Cohen.

And, trip's not even done yet!

Aaron Rodgers & RFK Jr. Dems Think They're 'Blowhards' ... But Still Doing Due Diligence

Aaron Rodgers' VP bid won't last long, but the Democratic party's still taking him plenty seriously ... at least, according to some high-ranking party members.

Top officials of the Democratic National Committee tell TMZ ... they're not taking any chances with Rodgers, even though they're expecting his VP candidacy to last as long as his first season with the New York Jets.

Basically, sources at the DNC tell us they're not writing off Rodgers or any other celebrity candidate no matter what they may think of them ... just look what happened with Trump.

DNC members acknowledge third-party candidates can easily play spoiler in a close election ... so all the more reason to face Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and possibly Rodgers head-on.

Moving forward, we're told Democrats will be looking through old Rodgers interviews and dredging up the skeletons in the QB's locker. Essentially, they're welcoming AR to a whole new kind of gridiron ... one where Rodgers isn't likely to get an unnecessary roughness call in his favor.

As for how they feel about Kennedy and Rodgers teaming up ... our sources tell us it makes a lot of sense -- since they're both "self-important blowhards," as it was put to us. Sounds like the attack ads are already writing themselves!

Of course, RFK Jr. hasn't officially named Aaron Rodgers yet ... though he is at the top of the presidential hopeful's short list which also reportedly features WWE star Jesse Ventura, Rand Paul and Tulsi Gabbard.

Bottom line, Rodgers may be used to deep playoff runs ... but the Dems plan on sacking any kinda run for office from the QB real quick.

INCIDENTE DE ALASKA AIRLINES EL VIDEO DEL INCIDENTE DE LA VENTANA Ha sido borrado

El video de Boeing que muestra exactamente quién trabajó en la puerta del 737 Max 9 que voló de un vuelo de Alaska Airlines ha sido borrado, y la NTSB cree que la compañía está tratando de ocultar la información.

La presidenta de la Junta Nacional de Seguridad del Transporte -Jennifer Homendy- le escribió una carta el miércoles al Comité de Comercio del Senado, diciendo que todavía no saben qué empleados de Boeing participaron en la reparación de la puerta. Habían solicitado la lista de nombres cuando el informe preliminar sobre la investigación reveló que la puerta no tenía pernos durante el susto en pleno vuelo el 5 de enero.

Homendy acusó a Boeing de obstruir su investigación, diciéndole a los senadores Maria Cantwell y Ted Cruz, "Todavía no tenemos ni idea de quién hizo el trabajo para abrir, reinstalar y cerrar el tapón de la puerta en el avión del accidente", y añadió: "Boeing nos ha informado de que son incapaces de encontrar los registros que documentan este trabajo".

Durante su testimonio ante el SCC a principios de este mes, Homendy aclaró que Boeing solo proporcionó una lista de empleados que informan al gerente de la tripulación de la puerta, pero no exactamente quién había trabajado en el tapón de la puerta en cuestión.

010624_alaska_airlines-kal JANUARY 2024
INTENTANDO MANTENER LA CALMA

En su carta, Homendy dice que luego se puso en contacto con el CEO de Boeing -Dave Calhoun- para obtener los nombres, pero él le informó que no podía proporcionar esa información, sosteniendo que Boeing no tenía registros de los trabajos realizados.

Homendy dice que la ausencia de esos nombres ha dado lugar a un bloqueo frustrante en la investigación de la NTSB, y aclara que no están buscando los nombres por razones punitivas, y salvaguardará las identidades de los empleados involucrados.

El avión Boeing tuvo que realizar un aterrizaje de emergencia en Portland después de que una de las ventanas de la cabina reventara, provocando una escena terrorífica en la que las pertenencias de los asustados pasajeros fueron succionadas.

El consejero delegado de Alaska Airlines, Ben Minicucci, anunció entonces que la compañía dejaría en tierra temporalmente su flota de 65 aviones Boeing 737-9 para someterlos a una inspección y mantenimiento exhaustivos como medida de precaución. A finales de mes, recibieron el visto bueno para reanudar los vuelos.

013024-john-barnett-kal 1/31/24
FUERTE DETERIORO DE LA CALIDAD
TMZ.com

Sin embargo, el ex gerente de calidad de Boeing -John Barnett- estuvo en "TMZ Live" para dejar claro que no estaba de acuerdo con esa decisión, porque afirmó que Boeing estaba ignorando temas de seguridad importantes.

Barnett incluso llevó su lucha contra Boeing un paso más allá mediante la presentación de una demanda, alegando represalias por sus esfuerzos de denuncia. Se sentó para una declaración en el elenco de la semana pasada, y al día siguiente fue encontrado muerto, presuntamente por suicidio.

031124_australia_plane_kal 3/11/24
un vuelo de terror

Mientras tanto, Boeing se enfrenta a más problemas, incluyendo un vuelo de esta semana de Australia a Nueva Zelanda que comenzó a caer del cielo después de experimentar un fallo masivo del equipo.

ALASKA AIRLINES INCIDENT BOEING DOOR PLUG REMOVAL VID OVERWRITTEN

Boeing's video footage showing exactly who worked on the 737 Max 9 door that flew off an Alaska Airlines flight has been erased, and the NTSB believes the company's trying to hide the information.

National Transportation Safety Board chairman, Jennifer Homendy, wrote a letter Wednesday to the Senate Commerce Committee ... saying they're still in the dark about which Boeing employees were involved in the door's repair. They had requested the list of names when the preliminary report into the investigation revealed the door had no bolts during the mid-flight scare on January 5.

Homendy accused Boeing of obstructing their investigation ... telling Senators Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz, "We still have no clue who did the work to open, reinstall, and close the door plug on the accident aircraft." She added, "Boeing has informed us that they are unable to find the records documenting this work."

During her testimony before the SCC earlier this month, Homendy clarified Boeing only provided a list of employees who report to the door crew manager, but not exactly who had worked on the door plug in question.

010624_alaska_airlines-kal JANUARY 2024
TRYING TO REMAIN CALM

In her letter, Homendy says she then reached out to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to obtain the names, but he informed her he couldn't provide that info, maintaining Boeing had no records of the work being done.

Homendy says the absence of those names has resulted in a frustrating roadblock in the NTSB's investigation -- and she clarifies they're not seeking the names for punitive reasons, and will safeguard the identities of the employees involved.

You'll remember ... the Boeing aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Portland after one of the cabin windows blew out, causing a terrifying scene with belongings of frightened passengers being sucked out.

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci announced at the time the company would be grounding its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft temporarily for a thorough inspection and maintenance as a precautionary measure. By the end of the month, they got the all-clear to resume flights.

013024-john-barnett-kal 1/31/24
SHARP DECLINE IN QUALITY
TMZ.com

However, former Boeing quality manager John Barnett came on "TMZ Live" to make it clear he disagreed with that decision ... because he claimed Boeing was ignoring significant safety concerns.

Barnett had even taken his fight against Boeing a step further by filing a lawsuit, alleging retaliation for his whistleblowing efforts. He sat for a deposition in the cast last week, and the very next day he was found dead ... allegedly by suicide.

031124_australia_plane_kal 3/11/24
Frightening Flight

Meanwhile, Boeing's facing more issues ... including a flight this week from Australia to NZ that started falling from the sky after experiencing massive equipment failure.

DON LEMON SU ALIANZA CON X LLEGA A SU FIN Dicen que Elon está cabreado

031324_don_lemon-kal 03/13/24
¿por qué tan enojado elon?

Don Lemon ha cancelado su acuerdo con X antes de que se emitiera el primer episodio, y culpa a su entrevista con Elon Musk, en la que aparentemente tocó un punto delicado.

El ex presentador de CNN anunció el miércoles en redes sociales el fin de su acuerdo exclusivo con la plataforma de Elon Musk, tanto a través de una declaración escrita como en un breve video que irónicamente publicó en X.

Don explica que se sentó con Elon el viernes para entrevistarlo en el primer episodio de "The Don Lemon Show", diciendo que quería tener a Musk como su primer invitado, porque Elon se considera un gran defensor de la libertad de expresión.

Don dijo que la entrevista no tenía temas fuera de límite, y aunque Don admite que la conversación se puso tensa a ratos, en última instancia dice que las cosas salieron bien.

Sin embargo, parece que Musk no se sentía de la misma manera, y afirma que su acuerdo con X -acordado hace apenas dos meses- se terminó apenas unas horas después de su entrevista.

Lemon le dijo a sus fans que trabajó con X porque es un creyente en la libertad de expresión y quería que su mensaje llegara a un público masivo, y ser "despedido" de X no impide que el ex presentador de CNN lo transmita en la plataforma y en otros lugares.

Lemon dice que todavía piensa publicar la entrevista el lunes 18 de marzo en YouTube y X, lo que podría tomarse como una afrenta hacia Elon. También va a seguir con el programa sin el respaldo de X, así que "The Don Lemon Show" sigue en pie.

En cuanto a lo que exactamente discutieron, no sabemos mucho, pero los informes sugieren que Don hizo algunas preguntas contundentes, incluyendo preguntas sobre el uso de Musk de la ketamina.

Aparentemente, Lemon todavía piensa que X le debe dinero, con un portavoz de Don diciéndole al sitio de noticias Puck, que está dispuesto a ir a los tribunales por el dinero que cree que le deben.

Por su parte, X dice que su plataforma apoya la libertad de expresión, y Don puede publicar libremente lo que quiera, pero X, por otra parte, sigue siendo un negocio y puede optar por iniciar o terminar asociaciones con empresas como mejor le parezca.

En cuanto a Elon... le respondió a una cuenta de parodia de Mark Zuckerberg en X y afirmó que Don todavía estaba haciendo sus trucos de CNN en X y dijo que sentía que solo estaba repitiendo los mismos pasos que su antiguo jefe en la red, Jeff Zucker. Elon también dice que sentía Don no estaba siendo auténtico... y parecer esto fue suficiente para desechar el acuerdo.

Parece que hay mala sangre en ambos frentes, y estamos seguros de que esto no ha terminado todavía.

Don Lemon X Partnership Falls Apart ... Reportedly Pissed Off Elon

031324_don_lemon-kal 03/13/24
WHY SO MAD ELON ???

Don Lemon's X partnership is dunzo -- his deal falling apart before the first episode could even air ... and he blames his Elon Musk interview, where he apparently struck a nerve.

The former CNN anchor took to social media Wednesday to announce the end of his exclusive deal with Elon's platform -- both via written statement and in a short video he posted to X, ironically enough.

The way Don explains it ... he sat down with Elon Friday to interview him for the first episode of "The Don Lemon Show," saying he wanted to speak with Musk as his debut guest because Elon considers himself a major proponent of free speech.

Don said the interview had no off-limit topics, and -- even though DL admits the convo got tense at times ... ultimately, he says he felt it was a good, fair back-and-forth.

However, it sounds like Musk didn't feel the same way according to Lemon ... who claims his deal with X -- agreed upon just two months ago -- was terminated mere hours after their interview wrapped.

Lemon told his fans he worked with X because he's a believer in free speech and wanted his message to reach a mass audience ... and, getting "fired" from X ain't stopping the former CNN anchor from airing it on the platform and elsewhere.

Lemon says he's still dropping the interview in all its glory Monday, March 18 on YouTube and X as well -- seemingly a big middle finger to EM and co. He's also gonna carry on with the show without X's backing ... so, the "The Don Lemon Show" is still on.

As for exactly what the two discussed ... we don't know much, but reports are floating around Don asked some hard-hitting questions -- including queries about Musk's use of ketamine.

031324_tmz_live_don_lemon_x_cancelled.01_00_16_05.Still021
GRAND OPENING, GRAND CLOSING
TMZ.com

BTW ... Lemon apparently still thinks X owes him money -- with a spokesperson for Don telling news site Puck he's willing to go to court for the cash he believes is owed ... to be continued, we suppose.

For their part, X is saying their platform is all about free speech, and Don can freely post whatever he wants ... but also X is still a business and can choose to begin or end partnerships with businesses as it sees fit.

As for Elon ... he responded to a Mark Zuckerberg parody account on X -- and claimed Don was still doing his CNN shtick, just on X -- and he said he felt Don was just parroting his old boss at the network, Jeff Zucker. EM also says he felt Don was putting on an act and not being his authentic self ... which was apparently enough for him to scrap their deal.

Seems like lots of bad blood on both sides ... and we're sure it's not over yet.

BEN SHAPIRO U.S. Retirement Age Should be Raised ... Keep Working, Dammit!!!

031324_ben_shapiro_kal
"Raise The Retirement Age"
The Ben Shapiro Show

Ben Shapiro's popping off on retirement in the U.S., saying people who want to hang it up professionally at age 65 are off their rocker ... arguing the threshold should be raised.

The conservative talk show host made his case loud and clear on Tuesday's "The Ben Shapiro Show" ... saying the notion that retirement age should remain at 65 is absolutely absurd -- especially since President Biden is running for reelection at the ripe age of 81.

Ben says he's actually shocked the retirement age hasn't been bumped up already -- especially considering folks in the U.S. are living a lot longer nowadays.

The host continues arguing that working well past retirement age is a good thing ... 'cause, according to him, everyone he knows who's retired around 65 has lost their purpose in life. BS adds that it's ridiculous folks would solely rely on Social Security benefits for the next two decades after retirement rather than work ... seemingly suggesting it's a lazy way to go.

Ben uses his parents as a shining example of people older than 65 who've stayed on the grind -- although, it's unclear exactly how old they might be. Point is ... he thinks people oughta keep working into old age, and he says there's many examples of people doing so.

He also makes the point that people retiring at 65 and leaning SS isn't financially sustainable for the country ... a right-wing talking point that's been brought up by Republicans, etc.

It probably goes without saying ... but his hot take here is getting dragged all over X. Of course, some actually seem to agree with Ben's fundamental point ... different strokes. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Proyecto de ley de TikTok Cámara aprueba prohibir la app en Estados Unidos El Senado tomará la decisión final

El destino de TikTok pende de un hilo en Estados Unidos, con la Cámara aprobando la idea de prohibir la popular aplicación de redes sociales a menos que su matriz con sede en Beijing, ByteDance, venda su participación.

La votación tuvo lugar el miércoles y fue aplastante: 352 votos a favor y 65 en contra en un raro momento de acuerdo bipartidista, con 197 republicanos y 155 demócratas dando luz verde a esta moción y citando que la propiedad de la aplicación sea de China corresponde una importante amenaza para la seguridad nacional.

La Cámara no perdió el tiempo con la legislación, bautizada como Ley para Proteger a los Estadounidenses de las Aplicaciones Controladas por Adversarios Extranjeros, pero el futuro de TikTok aún pende de un hilo, ya que todavía tiene que pasar por el Senado y luego llegar a Joe Biden.

El proyecto de ley actual da a ByteDance un ultimátum estricto: o vende TikTok y sus otras aplicaciones en un plazo de seis meses o se enfrenta a la expulsión de las tiendas de apps online de Estados Unidos y otros servicios de alojamiento web.

Los legisladores llevan mucho tiempo temiendo que el gobierno chino obligue a ByteDance a entregar los datos de sus 170 millones de usuarios estadounidenses, a pesar de que TikTok ha negado vehementemente que esté espiando a ciudadanos del país.

El representante Dan Crenshaw no se anduvo con rodeos antes de la votación y dijo: "TikTok es propiedad de ByteDance. ByteDance está en China y cuando estás en China, tienes que hacer lo que te diga el Partido Comunista Chino".

Y añadió: "Si quieren que espíes para ellos, espiarás para ellos; así es como funciona".

Sin embargo, Liu Pengyu, portavoz de la embajada china en Washington, acusa a Estados Unidos de llevar a cabo una campaña de desprestigio para acabar con la empresa con sede en China, añadiendo en un comunicado que Estados Unidos "no ha sido capaz de dar pruebas contundentes para demostrar las supuestas amenazas de TikTok a la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos".

Lo que es importante, Biden ha prometido poner la pluma en el proyecto de ley si aterriza en su escritorio. Sin embargo, está por verse si este proyecto de ley en realidad saldrá adelante, sobre todo porque TikTok ha sobrevivido a los intentos de prohibición anteriores. Estamos seguros de que a los influencers les tiemblan las piernas.

TIKTOK BILL HOUSE VOTES TO BAN APP IN U.S.!!! Senate To Make Final Call

TikTok's dancing on thin ice in the U.S. ... with the House voting to ban the popular social media app -- unless its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance sells its stake, that is.

A vote went down Wednesday and it was a landslide -- 352 to 65 -- in favor of the ban ... a rare moment of bipartisan agreement, with 197 Republicans and 155 Democrats giving it the green light, citing the app's Chinese ownership as a major national security threat.

The House didn't waste any time with the legislation -- dubbed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act -- but TikTok's future still hangs in the balance ... as it still has to make its way through the Senate, and then over to Joe Biden.

This current bill gives ByteDance a strict ultimatum -- either sell off TikTok and its other apps within six months or face the chop from U.S. app stores and other web-hosting services.

Lawmakers have long been sweating bullets over fears the Chinese government could force ByteDance into handing over the data of its whopping 170M American users -- even though TikTok has vehemently denied it's snooping on U.S. citizens.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw didn't pull any punches before the vote, saying ... "TikTok is owned by ByteDance. ByteDance is in China and when you're in China, you have to do whatever the Chinese Communist Party tells you what to do."

031324_tv_clips_tiktok_congress.01_00_32_24.Still002
THE END OF TIKTOK?
TMZ.com

He added, "If they want you to spy for them, you will spy for them; that's how that works."

However, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, is accusing the U.S. of running a smear campaign to bring down the China-based company -- adding in a statement the U.S "has not been able to give hard evidence to prove the so-called threats from TikTok to U.S. national security."

FWIW, Biden's promising to put pen to paper on the bill if it lands on his desk. Nonetheless, it's gonna be a nail-biter to see if this bill actually sticks, especially since TikTok's survived previous ban attempts. We're sure the influencers are shaking in their boots!

For more viral news check out TMZ Verified, available on all podcast platforms.

Olivia Rodrigo Reparte su "Plan B" en sus conciertos Desata reacciones mixtas

Olivia Rodrigo redobló su misión por proporcionarle a sus fans el acceso a métodos anticonceptivos mediante la entrega de cajas gratuitas llamadas Plan B y preservativos en sus conciertos... lo que ha provocado una gran reacción en Internet.

La cantante de pop anunció su plan por primera vez en febrero, cuando reveló la iniciativa Fund 4 Good, un plan para proporcionarles a sus fans acceso a cuidados de salud reproductivos durante su gira mundial "GUTS". Y está claro que Olivia es una mujer de palabra, ya que una fanática tomó una foto del anticonceptivo de emergencia que recibió en la parada de la ex estrella de Disney en St. Louis.

031324-olivia-rodrigo-kal FEBRUARY 2024
Apoyando los derechos reproductivos

La asistente al concierto no solo recibió Plan B, sino que también información sobre cómo financiar atención relacionada con el aborto en Estados Unidos y un número de teléfono para ayudar a aquellos que buscan interrumpir un embarazo.

Recordemos que Missouri prohibió casi todos los abortos tras la anulación de Roe v. Wade en 2022. Por lo tanto, este fue un movimiento audaz por parte de Olivia.

Aunque su iniciativa, que incluye la donación de una parte de sus ingresos por entradas a la National Network of Abortion Funds, ha sido aplaudida por los grupos activistas, algunos en Internet la han criticado por su postura a favor del aborto.

Sin embargo, los comentarios positivos están superando a los negativos, con la mayoría de la gente alabando a Olivia por hacer algo respecto a lo que cree.

Olivia Rodrigo Hands Out Plan B to Fans at Concert ... Sparks Mixed Reactions

Olivia Rodrigo doubled down on her mission to provide fans with access to contraception by handing out free boxes of Plan B and condoms at her concerts ... sparking a major reaction online.

The pop singer first announced her plan in February when she revealed the Fund 4 Good initiative ... a plan to provide her female fans with access to reproductive health care during her "GUTS" world tour.

031324-olivia-rodrigo-kal FEBRUARY 2024
SUPPORTING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

And it's clear Olivia is a woman of her word -- as one fan took a pic of the emergency contraceptive she received at the former Disney star's St. Louis tour stop.

The concert attendee didn't just receive Plan B, however ... they also got information on how to fund abortion care in the U.S. and a phone number to help those seeking to terminate a pregnancy.

Remember, Missouri banned almost all abortions after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. So, this was a bold move by Olivia.

While her initiative -- which includes the singer donating a portion of her ticket sales to the National Network of Abortion Funds -- has been applauded by activist groups, some online have slammed her for her pro-choice stance.

Still, the positive comments are outweighing the negative ones ... with most people praising Olivia for putting her money where her mouth is.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Donald Trump Seems to Ignore Grandson ... In Front of Ivanka, Jared

Donald Trump seemed to snub his own grandson at the UFC event over the weekend -- and the video is pretty brutal ... with the kid being left in the wind next to his mom and dad.

Different videos capturing the awkward moment have been spliced together into one clip -- and it makes for a tough scene for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner ... who were on hand Saturday to watch UFC 299 in Miami, something DT himself also crashed.

As you can see, when Trump was making his entrance ... he was hand-shaking and hobnobbing with a lot of notable people -- including Dave Portnoy -- but when he finally landed at where Ivanka and Jared were standing, things got a little icy.

Check it out ... Donald kisses Ivanka and hugs Jared, but when they try to present their son, Joseph, to his grandfather -- DT appears to turn away without acknowledging him.

The ex-Prez continues on his way without even so much as saying hello -- and Joseph is seen standing still in the immediate aftermath ... looking pretty sad. His mom goes down to seemingly console him before the clip cuts out entirely -- but on its face, it looks harsh.

Unclear if Trump was just in a hurry or what the deal was -- but in any case, he didn't give his 10-year-old grandkid the time of day ... and it seemed to hurt the boy.

We should note ... Don has been fond of and friendly with his grandchildren, in general, in the past -- including with Joseph specifically. He's been photographed holding his hand while walking across the White House lawn on at least a couple of occasions.

Ya gotta figure he loves the kid, but might've been distracted considering everything that was going on in the moment. He was arguably the most important person in the room that night.

BTW, Donald has a massive brood thanks to his five children -- Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany and Barron. He has since become a grandfather 10 times over.

Lots of grandkids to keep track of ... and sometimes they might slip through. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. My VP Running Mate List ... Aaron Rodgers Is At The Top!!!

NFL superstar quarterback first ... Vice President of The United States of America next?

If things go the way Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hopes, that could be how life turns out for Aaron Rodgers, because the presidential hopeful confirmed Tuesday the Jets' signal-caller is at the "top" of his running mate list.

According to the New York Times, RFK Jr. said he's been communicating with Rodgers for most of the last month, and they've talked about the role ... and Rodgers is said to be interested.

Of course, the two -- who share similar stances on vaccines and other issues -- have grown close recently, with Rodgers throwing his support behind the independent candidate publicly multiple times in the last few months.

It's unclear, however, just how Rodgers would do his New York Jets job if he were to join the ticket with Kennedy.

The election is in November ... when football is in full swing.

The NYT also reported Tuesday that former WWE star and actor Jesse "The Body" Ventura is a strong candidate to be on the ticket.

The 70-year-old -- who has reportedly also considered Andrew Yang, Rand Paul, and Tulsi Gabbard for the role -- is expected to name his official running mate within the next few weeks.

Whoever RFK Jr. ultimately chooses, he's got an uphill battle ahead, despite polling strongly for an Independent.

031424_tmz_live_aaron_rodgers_kal
COMMENTING ON CONSPIRACIES
TMZ.com

In fact, Kennedy Jr. is garnering 15% of voters in a three-candidate race, while Biden is sitting at 35.5% and Trump 39.8%, according to Real Clear.

Donald Trump Parece ignorar a su nieto... En frente de Ivanka y Jared

Donald Trump pareció desairar a su propio nieto en el evento de la UFC el fin de semana y el video es bastante brutal, pues muestra cómo el niño es pasado por alto mientras está de pie junto a sus padres.

Diferentes videos que captaron el incómodo momento se han montado en un solo clip y parece ser una escena difícil para Ivanka Trump y Jared Kushner, quienes estaban de la mano el sábado para ver UFC 299 en Miami, al igual que Donald Trump.

Como se puede ver, Trump le estaba dando la mano a un montón de gente notable cuando entró al lugar, incluyendo a Dave Portnoy, pero cuando finalmente llegó a donde estaban Ivanka y Jared, las cosas se pusieron un poco frías.

Echa un vistazo, Donald besa a Ivanka y abraza a Jared, pero cuando tratan de señalarle a su hijo José, el ex presidente parece alejarse sin reconocerlo.

Donald Trump continúa su camino sin siquiera decir hola y Joseph se queda ahí parado mirando bastante triste. Su madre baja a consolarlo aparentemente antes de que el clip se corte por completo, pero a primera vista, parece duro.

No está claro si Trump estaba en un apuro o cómo era la cuestión, pero en cualquier caso, no le dio a su nieto de 10 años lo que esperaba y pareció herir al pequeño.

Hay que señalar que Don suele ser cariñoso y amable con sus nietos en general, al menos en el pasado, incluyendo con José. Ha sido fotografiado cogiéndole la mano mientras caminaban por el césped de la Casa Blanca en al menos un par de ocasiones.

Hay que suponer que lo quiere, pero puede que estuviera distraído por todo lo que estaba pasando. Probablemente, era la persona más importante en la sala esa noche.

Por cierto, Donald tiene una enorme prole gracias a sus cinco hijos: Donald Jr, Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany y Barron. Desde entonces ya ha sido abuelo 10 veces.

Un montón de nietos a los que seguirle la pista y a veces pueden colarse. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Steph Curry Looking Into Politics After NBA Career ... 'Maybe' Presidency!!!

Steph Curry just revealed he's got interest in going from the basketball Hall of Fame to the halls of Congress ... admitting that after his NBA career ends, he's open to politics -- and "maybe" even a run for President!!

The four-time champion said he's considering the idea during a candid interview that aired on Tuesday on "CBS Mornings" ... after Jericka Duncan asked him if he wanted to be POTUS some day.

"Maybe," the 35-year-old said. "I have an interest in leveraging every part of my influence for good in any way that I can, so if that’s the way to do it, then ..."

Curry says "meaningful change" is his ultimate goal ... and if moving into 1600 Penn Ave. gets it done, then he's down for it.

But, he said it obviously won't be this year or in 2028 either.

"Not that soon!" Curry said with a laugh.

Of course, Steph appears to be nowhere near moving on from basketball just yet ... as even though he's battled some bumps and bruises this season, he's still averaging 26.9 points per game.

Then again, Curry's demonstrated he can do so much even while still starring on the court -- as he just released yet another children's book that he's clearly super proud of.

So, hooper/author today -- President Curry down the line?? If the basketball star's taught us one thing over the years, it's never to rule him out.

'OPPENHEIMER' A-Bomb Test Victim Says ... NO ILL FEELINGS Over Oscars Success

"Oppenheimer" making nearly $1 billion, and now winning Best Picture, doesn't mean it's immune to criticism, especially from the real-life people harmed by the atomic testing -- but in the wake of the Oscars, some are willing to forgive ... though, not forget.

Maybe the only bad thing uttered about the Christopher Nolan-directed flick has been that it glosses over the long-lasting radiation exposure and cancer cases generations of New Mexico locals have endured following the July 1945 nuclear bomb test.

Despite the omission, one of those victims, Wesley Burris, tells TMZ he doesn't have any ill will about the film being cemented as "the best" of the year. He says it's unlikely the cast or filmmakers were aware of the victims' backstories ... let alone that there were victims at all, starting nearly 80 years ago.

Remember, the explosive test took place amid thunderstorms over White Sands Missile Range, resulting in toxic debris falling back to Earth in the ensuing rain. It contaminated the landscape, water supplies, the food chain and exposed NM residents to harmful radiation.

Wesley reflected on the event that changed his life when he was just 5 years old. He described the detonation as being so bright, it was like looking at the sun, and the force blew him outta bed.

The medical fallout for his whole family's been devastating -- Wesley got skin cancer, his brother had radiation cancer, his sister had breast cancer and her daughter was born with leukemia. He also had friends who died from cancer they attributed to the atomic test.

Wesley acknowledges the government might not have known what the outcome would be, but failing to inform residents about it ahead of time was messed up.

In fact, he says they were all in the dark about what went down for a while, only to be told years later it was a nuclear test.

As for the movie, he says he paid money to go and watch it and thought it was good. But, he still thinks people should know what really happened in the aftermath, and realize people are still dying from it.

Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, joined us last week on "TMZ Live" ... to share how the nuclear testing is still affecting NM families -- including her own who lived 15 miles from the blast.

030624-tina-cordova-kal 3/6/24
HERE'S WHAT THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU ...
TMZ.com

Tina's less forgiving than Wesley ... as she believes the literal and figurative fallout was intentionally left out of the film -- just as NM residents were left out of 1990's Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which provided compensation to residents living near nuclear testing sites. But, only those in Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

So, as "Oppenheimer" is celebrated for its acting, directing and storytelling ... Wesley and Tina agree on one thing -- like thousands of others in New Mexico -- they're waiting on the U.S. government to recognize their struggle.