White House

President Biden's got a busy week ahead of him with a planned trip to Europe -- but before he gets back on the job ... it looks like he wanted to kick up his feet, and some sand too.

JB was in Rehoboth Beach, DE Saturday -- where he and FLOTUS, Jill Biden, have a summer home in the North Shores neighborhood -- and both of them went down toward the shore to soak in some rays and enjoy the atmosphere ... a very sunny one, indeed.

Now, eyewitnesses tell us it was Jill who actually arrived on the beach first -- accompanied by a bunch of Secret Service agents -- and that Joe eventually followed with his own flock.

As you can see, the Bidens had chairs and umbrellas laid out ... and Jill even threw on some sunscreen for protection. When it comes to Joe -- he settled for a baseball cap and keeping his shirt on. Shoes, too, it seems ... you can never be too careful for POTUS!

When they were finally seated next to each other ... we're told Joe was busy reading a bunch of papers, although it's unclear what was on them. No PDA between the first couple or anything -- sounds like they were just content with being in each other's company.

Anyway, like we said ... Joe's scheduled to hit the skies Sunday for a 5-day trip overseas, where he'll touch down in England, Lithuania and Finland for a handful of engagements.

It's interesting he's gonna be out of town this week, seeing how the findings of the ongoing cocaine probe are expected to be released in the coming days. Remember, an undisclosed amount of the illicit substance was found in the West Wing over 4th of July weekend.

Former WNBA star and ex-Tennessee Lady Volunteers hooper Nikki McCray-Penson has tragically passed away at 51 years old.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed to The Tennesean on Friday by Rutgers University, where McCray-Penson had been working as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team.

The school did not provide a cause of death ... but Univ. of Tenn. reporter Maria Cornelius said McCray-Penson passed away after battling breast cancer for a second time.

The former guard starred at Tennessee in the 1990s ... winning SEC Player of the Year twice (1994, 1995) -- as well as earning Kodak All-American honors twice.

Following her stint with the Vols, she went on to become a three-time WNBA All-Star ... while playing eight seasons for the Mystics, Fever, Mercury, Silver Stars and Sky.

She also won two gold Olympic medals with Team USA in her career ... and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Her coaching tenure began in 2006 ... when she was hired to be an assistant on Western Kentucky's staff. She later became a head coach for Old Dominion, where she won C-USA Coach of the Year in 2019-2020. She then had a stint as Mississippi State's head coach ... before she began her career at Rutgers in 2022.

McCray-Penson also had a significant impact off the court ... she was selected by Bill Clinton to be a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She was also picked by the Library of Congress as a speaker for the Women's History Month Address in 1999.

News of the death has rocked the basketball world ... with many stars remembering her fondly after learning of her passing.

"Nikki McCray : Sweet person and cold hooper!," ex-NBA star Chris Webber wrote. "Rest in Peace."

Added Dick Vitale, "I am so heartbroken hearing this news a few minutes ago about Nikki McCray - Penson . Loved everything about Nikki - she was a Hall of Famer as a player & as a person . May Nikki RIP."

Lady Vols senior Rickea Jackson, who played under McCray-Penson at Mississippi St., also tweeted her condolences to the McCray-Penson family.

"One of the most beautiful souls I've ever met," Jackson said. "The one who genuinely went out their way to understand me when I was so misunderstood. The one who was always there."

"You fought so long and hard and I am grateful to have known you. I love you. Rest easy."

Cocaine may have been found inside the White House this weekend -- and it appears to have been discovered in an area that President Biden frequents a lot on the job.

The Secret Service says it discovered a white powdery substance Sunday night in the West Wing during routine rounds. It's unclear where exactly in the West Wing it was found -- but a spokesperson for the agency will only say agents stumbled upon it in a "work area."

The SS rep also notes any notion the substance might've been found in the executive mansion is false. While Secret Service won't disclose where the alleged coke lay, it appears DC's FEMS let the cat outta the bag ... reportedly relaying via dispatch it was in the library.

POTUS was not at the White House during this entire ordeal, BTW.

The discovery of the unknown powder prompted an increased security alert and a brief evacuation of the premises, and tests are being done to decide what it might be. WaPo, citing sources familiar with the matter, says preliminary tests suggest it is, in fact, blow.

Speaking of that dispatch audio from earlier ... it seems a firefighter who was on the ground firmly believed cocaine was the culprit, -- telling the department's hazardous materials team that a test they conducted indicated "cocaine hydrochloride." No ambiguity at all.

Officials are saying the substance did not pose a threat, and an investigation is underway as to how it made its way into the White House ... and, obviously, who brought it in.

Washington, D.C. isn't skimping on this year's annual fireworks extravaganza at the National Mall -- and we've learned America's dropping a nice chunk of change to make it happen!

According to federal records, obtained by TMZ, the big fireworks show put on by the National Park Service will cost taxpayers $269,000 ... with Garden State Fireworks once again getting the honor of lighting up the D.C. sky.

But before ya start waggin' your finger at the 6-figure price tag, this is in the same ballpark as years past -- TMZ broke the story, the price tag was $278,500 back in 2021 for the patriotic bash.

Garden State Fireworks got a big bump -- we paid them $320K when former President Donald Trump wanted to beef up the show.

Barack Obama is taking in one of the most hallowed sites in ancient Greece ... but he's clearly more impressed with his wife Michelle's rear end! Smart man.

The former President apparently couldn't resist playfully giving Michelle a helping hand Wednesday during a stop at the famous Acropolis in Athens, palming her booty as they walked up a staircase together at the venue.

As you can see, Barry O has his left hand on Michelle's right cheek as she climbs the stairs in front of him. Their daughters, Malia and Sasha, were nearby ... hopefully they didn't have to witness Dad's PDA play.

Barack, Michelle and the girls are in Greece for an Obama Foundation event ... and it looks like they took a little time out from their business trip to do the tourist thing.

Based on what we're seeing here, it seems Barack and Michelle still have that spark. They first met way back in the summer of 1989 when they worked at the same law firm, so this fire's been burning for decades.

President Biden ended some remarks he gave this week on a strange note -- wishing health and prosperity on the Queen of England ... even though she's already kicked the bucket.

Joe was at the University of Hartford in Connecticut Friday, where he was giving a keynote speech for the National Safer Communities Summit ... where he was in front of a crowd featuring a ton of gun control activists. All was going well -- until the very end.

Watch ... JB starts to joke around with the crowd, and right before he leaves the podium -- he says, "Alright. God save the Queen, man." The crowd, weirdly enough, loved it.

Unclear why POTUS ended his speech this way -- for 2 reasons. One, he wasn't in England or across the pond, and definitely wasn't talking to a UK crowd. These were just regular old Americans. Of course, more importantly ... Queen Eliabeth II has been dead for months.

A lot of folks are circulating this clip/roasting Joe for it. On its face, it's just another gaffe.

While the Prez had kind words for the late monarch, her son probably would've appreciated Joe's well-wishes ... especially heading into the weekend, where he celebrated his first Trooping the Colour parade -- which is a celebration of his first year as the new King.

Charles was out there in his red military uniform, and even rode on horseback with one of those tall funny hats that cover your eyes. Indeed, he looked very Royal and prestigious.

The people of London packed the streets to see their new King, but in the end ... the spotlight wasn't totally on him the whole time -- thanks in large part to his grandson, Prince Louis. The kid goes viral from time to time for silly poses he does on the balcony.

As the people of Great Britain came to see on Saturday, he was at it again ... soaking in the glory. The little guy was having the time of his life -- and striking a lot of different poses.

Trans influencer Rose Montoya is apologizing for taking her top off at a Pride event at the White House ... admitting her actions were unbecoming of an invited guest.

Rose broke her silence Friday, saying she regretted flashing her boobs on the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue ... and uploading a video of the act to social media.

The apology comes on the heels the White House banning Rose from future events for her stunt. She previously defended her conduct, but that was before the ban.

As we reported ... Rose was among the hundreds of guests invited by President Biden to a Pride event at the White House, causing outrage when she pulled down her dress to expose her boobs on the South lawn, with the Truman Balcony and a Pride flag in the background.

In announcing her ban, the White House ripped Rose's actions as "inappropriate and disrespectful for any event."

Trans influencer Rose Montoya won't have another chance to take her boobs out at the White House, she's been banned after flashing her breasts at President Biden's Pride event.

Rose got the boot Tuesday after footage of her going topless at Saturday's Pride party at the White House went viral ... funny enough, she's the one who posted the video.

In a statement to TMZ, a rep for the White House ripped Rose for the stunt, saying ... "This behavior is inappropriate and disrespectful for any event."

Rose was an invited guest for Saturday's Pride celebration at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue ... where she shook hands with Biden and later pulled down her white dress to expose her boobs on the South lawn, with the Truman Balcony and a Pride flag in the background.

In the video, Rose is cupping her boobs ... and she's flanked by a couple of shirtless men.

The footage didn't go over well with the White House, with the rep adding ... "It is not reflective of the event we hosted to celebrate LGBTQI+ families or the other hundreds of guests who were in attendance. Individuals in the video will not be invited to future events."

Rose reacted to some social media backlash Monday night, denying her actions were inappropriate and saying folks who have a problem with her going topless are just affirming she's a woman.

Donald Trump is seen by some as America's #1 man -- but his org is also trying to sell him as #1 dad ... one your own pops can emulate with a bunch of Trump-y gear for the holiday.

The Trump Org is all set for Father's Day, blasting out an email to potential customers who might be inclined to get their Papa Bear a special gift this year ... in the spirit of DT himself. Indeed, they're hawking Trump-inspired merch ... so that your dad can look just like him.

Their campaign is called Dad's the Boss ... and it's full of items that reflect Trump's essence. Of course, they're selling silk red ties (blue ones too) that go for $125 a pop ... plus, a bunch of Trump-branded items like a flask, coasters, mugs and other knickknacks that are all less than $100. As far as actual clothing ... they got polos and pullovers ranging from $80-$100.

There's more ... in addition to the "Boss Dad" collection, there's also other categories called "For the Man Cave," "Gold Dad," "Sporty Dad" and others. All of them contain Trump-inspired toys and trinkets ... with either his name emblazoned, or a straight-up "45."

There's a lot to select from -- however ... this crap ain't exactly cheap! Even something as simple as a rambler is as high as $65. The price point for much of the items is almost on a high-end athletic brand level ... as if they fancy themselves as a Lacoste competitor.

The other thing to consider here ... the more Trump gets criminally indicted -- twice now already, FWIW -- the more it feels like trying to match his style is a losing man's game.

To each their own, we suppose. They wouldn't be peddling these things if people weren't buying them -- and as we know, there are many in this country who are fiercely loyal to the ex-Prez ... and continue to be despite the mounting charges and scandals ahead of 2024.

President Biden and the rest of the White House celebrated Pride this weekend -- but conservatives are crying foul, claiming JB broke the law in doing so ... flag law, specifically.

Here's the deal ... Joe and co. were hosting a Pride event outside the WH Saturday, where he spoke passionately about protecting individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ ... especially transgender children, whom he said were seen, heard and most definitely belonged.

His remarks were embraced by the LGBTQ+ community and their allies -- but, of course, they also came under fire by right-wingers who felt he was playing a dangerous game.

Eventually, they found something on the grounds to pin their outrage to ... a flag display hanging from the White House itself, with the Pride rainbow flag slotted in between two U.S. flags.

You see, some were citing a certain part of the U.S. Flag Code -- which, yes, is indeed real -- and asserted JB was in violation of section 7, article (e) ... which discusses how U.S. flags should be displayed in public. There are 15 articles dissecting this whole topic, BTW.

Article (e) reads, "The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs." Basically, the red, white and blue oughta take precedent and be most prominent among an assortment of flags -- that's the "rule."

In response to how the WH arranged the flags here, one conservative -- echoing many others -- writes, "To advance revolutionary transgender agenda targeting children, Biden violates basic tenet of US Flag Code and disrespects every American service member buried under its colors." Some are even calling on Biden to apologize and/or be held to account.

The reality ... nobody is going to do squat about this -- because, frankly, it's not a big deal. More importantly, though, the U.S. Flag Code (while technically a federal law) is not enforced at all ... and operates more as a recommendation on proper decorum/custom than anything.

Former President Donald Trump's indictments won't push him off the campaign trail ... he could use the legal drama to catapult himself back to the presidency, even if he's convicted.

Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," to break down the 37-count federal indictment -- it's the first ever against a former President, but she says if he plays it right, it won't block his path to a 2024 victory.

What's most shocking, perhaps, is Levinson says even if Trump loses in court -- he's also facing a NY state indictment -- there's nothing in the Constitution barring him from serving his term in a prison cell.

With all that in mind, Jessica thinks it should come down to a simple question -- do folks want to back a candidate who could be doing time while running the country?

She also clues us in on a potential tactic Trump's opponents could use to get some of his supporters.

As we reported, Trump was indicted once again Friday for allegedly taking boxes upon boxes of classified documents when he left the White House, and stashed them at Mar-a-Lago -- some of them were stored in a bathroom.

He's accused of breaking 7 different laws, including a whopping 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information.

President Biden paid homage to the late Norma Hunt, mother of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, who passed away on Sunday ... holding a moment of silence during the team's White House visit to celebrate their Super Bowl LVII win.

The Chiefs visited 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Monday with heavy hearts, grieving the loss of their matriarch, Norma, wife of late Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, who died at 85.

The Commander-in-Chief called Norma, who attended all 57 Super Bowls, "one of the most loyal Chiefs fans there ever was," adding her presence was missed during the celebration.

POTUS sent condolences to the entire Hunt family and the Chiefs' organization on his and First Lady Jill Biden's behalf (FLOTUS was in the Middle East.)

The Prez mentioned his wife, a diehard Eagles fan, is still upset the Eagles lost ... and refuses to believe James Bradberry was called for holding Juju Smith-Schuster (even though Bradberry admitted to it). 😅

Nevertheless, #46 commended the Chiefs' dynasty for their dominance under head coach Andy Reid ... signaling out the players for their great work ethic.

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce presented the Prez with a custom Chiefs Biden #46 jersey ... and as Trav went to say a few words, Mahomes stepped in and shut it down.

The scheduled headliner for a drag show on a U.S. Air Force base is ripping President Biden's administration for scrapping this year's event, saying it doesn't line up with the White House's supposed support for the LGBTQ+ community.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" star Coco Montrese joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to give us her reaction to the Pentagon's decision to nix tonight's scheduled drag show at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

There had been 2 previous drag shows on the base, and in fact, Coco performed at the first one in 2021.

Coco says all the drag queens performed to a packed house, and they were generally well received -- which is why she's disappointed military brass switched course, and scrapped Thursday's show at the last minute.

She told us the decision is at odds with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's public statements of support for the military's LGBTQ+ members and Pride Month. Coco suggests the Prez can make amends ... by hosting a drag show right there at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

It's interesting ... the Pentagon says the Department of Defense will not host drag events at bases because "these types of events in federally funded facilities is not a suitable use of DOD resources."

However, Coco says the scrapped show at Nellis was privately funded, so that would have been a moot point.

President Biden says a deal has been reached with the GOP on a bill to raise the U.S. debt ceiling -- but Congress still has to sign off on it ... and pretty soon, too.

JB made the announcement Sunday, telling reporters he and Speaker Kevin McCarthy finalized the language on legislation they'll introduce to the House of Representatives later this week ... in hopes that it passes quickly, at which point it goes to the Senate.

While it remains to be seen if that'll actually happen -- and it needs to before early June, or else -- Joe sounded optimistic about the bipartisan agreement ... noting both sides didn't necessarily get everything they wanted ... but, in the same breath, admitting that what they'd landed on was good enough to avoid a catastrophic default/likely economic collapse.

As for what exactly the deal entails ... well, that'll be revealed when the bill is posted publicly so everyone can peruse the deets. Reports have been flying ahead of that though ... and it sounds like SNAP benefit recipients are going to be hit with new work requirements, something many Democrats are lamenting. But some Republicans are groaning as well.

Without bogging you down with the minutiae ... some GOPers say McCarthy conceded too much and didn't cut back federal spending in a meaningful way -- but rather, kicked the can down the road ... while also letting Biden and the Dems to maintain a lot of the budgeting they've already put in place, including pretty much everything in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Another element from the deal ... this debt deadline issue -- which circles back every few years or so -- will be untouched for another two years ... when we'll do this all over again.

The funny thing ... both sides are sorta lauding the new budget deal as a W for their respective parties -- although there are dissenters from each side of the aisle crying foul ... and considering Speaker McCarthy has to appease MAGA Republicans forever more, it'll be interesting to see if they call for his seat in the fallout. He's said he isn't worried about it.

Scary moment during the LSU women's hoops team's visit to the White House on Friday -- freshman forward Sa'Myah Smith passed out during President Joe Biden's speech ... but thankfully, head coach Kim Mulkey says she's doing okay.

The incident happened just minutes ago ... when Biden was at the podium honoring the Tigers' historic NCAA title win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in April.

The White House's stream of the ceremony showed several players suddenly look toward the middle of the group as Biden spoke .. and seconds later, staffers rushed onto the stage.

The stream was quickly cut off, but the audio was still running ... and you can hear Biden say, "Folks, it's okay."

After a brief delay, the stream was live again ... and Coach Kim Mulkey provided an update on Sa'Myah's status.

"For those of you who are concerned, Sa'Myah is fine. I'll assure you of that," Mulkey said at the podium.

"She's kind of, right now, embarrassed. She doesn't want to leave. She wants to stand with us, but she needs to be checked out."

After everything calmed down, LSU star Angel Reese handed Biden and the First Lady custom Tigers jerseys ... and even gave Jill Biden a hug.

It was an interesting moment for Reese and Jill. Remember, Reese was initially hesitant about going to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave after FLOTUS showed interest in inviting Iowa as well.

Reese later changed her mind ... and said she was excited to go along with Coach Mulkey, Flau'Jae Johnson and her teammates.

In fact, Reese, Flau'jae and Mulkey pulled up with some iced-out watches ... and showed 'em off while inside the White House.

Governor Ron DeSantis just announced his run for President on Twitter ... but not without massive technical failure as Elon Musk says the company's servers are to blame.

DeSantis made the big announcement Wednesday on the bird app ... dropping a campaign video that takes jabs at President Biden, blaming him for crime-filled streets and conflict at the border. He goes on to say he's the guy to lead the "great American comeback."

Of course, DeSantis was slated to drop the big news in a Twitter Spaces chat with Elon ... but apparent technical issues forced hundreds of thousands of listeners to listen as moderator David Sacks' audio kept cutting in and out.

Elon can be heard saying Twitter's servers are struggling to keep up -- and folks on the very same app are dragging him and the whole thing for the big mess ... with one calling it a "car crash," while another calling DeSantis' failed attempt "a perfect metaphor."

Even Biden took a jab at the whole thing -- with a tweet to his donation page that reads, "This link works."

You'll recall, TMZ confirmed Elon was set to join DeSantis for the declaration -- something that appears to be a push to make the app feel more like regular TV. Elon also called on ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon to start a show on his platform after Tucker Carlson said he'd be doing the same. Obviously, this mess might make Elon reconsider.

As for DeSantis, he's been seen as one of the only candidates that stands a chance at knocking down former President Donald Trump -- who announced his bid for the 2024 seat back in November.

DeSantis picking Twitter for his announcement spot doesn't just set him apart from the rest of his competition, but it appears to be a big "F-U" to Trump ... who infamously was taken off the platform after the Jan. 6 insurrection.