White House

While President Trump's got his eye on Joe Biden, perhaps his 2nd biggest nemesis is giving him a beating -- destroying his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star ... for the umpteenth time.

James Otis, who'd already attacked Trump's WoF star multiple times since 2016, returned to the scene of his crimes AGAIN early Friday morning. Otis dressed to the nines for the occasion, took out a pickaxe and, as usual, went to town on Trump's plaque.

Check out the video ... the star apparently was covered with plywood and had fencing around it -- expecting the worst, clearly -- but none of that deterred Otis, who cleared the fence and the boarding before finally hitting pay dirt. We're told Otis turned himself in to cops and is being booked for felony vandalism.

The destruction comes 4 weeks after Otis dressed up as the Incredible Hulk to obliterate DT's commemorative sidewalk piece.

It didn't take long before crews started working to restore the star. At the time, we wondered how long it would last before another vandal struck. Well, it was the SAME vandal and it was 28 days later.

Otis was arrested and charged with felony vandalism last time around too. The first time he was arrested, back in February 2017, he pled no contest and was sentenced to 3 years probation, community service and ordered to cough up $4,400.

We'll see what he gets this time around.

Paul Rudd's showing his appreciation to Brooklyn residents braving the rain and chilly weather to stand in a long line to vote ... by providing a sweet pick-me-up.

The 'Ant-Man' star was handing out cookies to voters Thursday morning in NYC, telling each person, "Thank you for coming out and voting."

It appeared Paul was accompanied by a cookie-man with a backpack who was supplying him with the treats to disperse as they made their way down the line. It's COVID-safe generosity ... Paul and crew were wearing face masks and gloves.

Brian Rosenworcel, the drummer and cofounder of the band Guster, is the guy who recorded Rudd doing his good deed as he was waiting to vote himself.

As we've reported ... several other celebs have found their own unique ways to encourage Americans to exercise their right to vote in 2020. There was Lizzo's red, white and blue-themed music vid, Lil Dicky's nude breakdown of the 2 presidential candidates ... and of course, a lot more stars stripping down to raise awareness of proper mail-in ballot procedure.

With Election Day fast approaching, lots of folks will be looking for ways to get to their polling places, which is where Lyft comes in ... with a major assist for thousands of voters.

A rep for the rideshare co. tells TMZ ... their team has already helped mobilize nearly 30,000 people with a transportation plan on Nov. 3. They're also helping voters to make sure they're registered.

Might seem like small potatoes, but since every vote counts in this election -- it's actually a big deal. Lyft says they've achieved this via their Voting Access Hub, along with countless partnerships in a comprehensive push to get out the vote.

Lyft's also offering sweet deals on Election Day for folks who need a lift to the polling place.

It'll be cheaper than usual to use Lyft that day -- and it could be straight-up free, depending on your circumstance. Lyft says it's offering 50% off one ride with a $10 max discount, one way. The code to get the discount is 2020VOTE.

For folks in underserved communities, they'll have the opportunity to get a ride on the house.

Lyft is partnering with orgs like Nike, More Than a Vote, Vote.org, Black Women's Roundtable, Sony Music Group, Plus 1 Vote ... and even John Legend, who's focusing on getting transportation for formerly incarcerated people who are eligible to vote.

With Amy Coney Barrett now confirmed to the Supreme Court -- as President Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell promised -- one organization is vowing to get revenge at the polls.

Sources tell us Planned Parenthood Votes is knee-deep in voter outreach this election, and its mission is clear ... getting more women than ever before to not only vote, but specifically defeat any incumbent GOP Senators who confirmed ACB.

We're told PP's got this initiative going called We Decide 2020 -- a 50-state virtual volunteer program that aims to recruit, train and mobilize thousands of people to spread awareness about what and who is on their ballots ... as it pertains to women's reproductive rights.

Some of their targeted battleground states include Montana, Iowa, Georgia and Colorado. All of those states have GOP Senators up for re-election. We're told PP is also focusing on Presidential battleground states like Pennsylvania, Florida and Wisconsin.

The idea behind this, we're told, is to make sure another Justice Barrett situation doesn't happen. PP leadership feels ACB was rushed through, and women's rights are hanging in the balance now that SCOTUS leans conservative, 6-3.

Planned Parenthood says what Trump and the Republican Senators (only one voted against confirmation) did is a blatant power grab that threatens the causes and people it advocates for every day.

Some lucky people and also voters casting their ballots are getting a tasty reward -- even before election results -- in the form of free tacos!!!

Here's the deal ... Vote.org branded food trucks are descending on voting sites through Election Day, providing folks braving the long lines with free grub, water and voting rights info.

The treats are free to all voters and locals, as the nonpartisan org is picking up the tab. We're told it costs about $15,000 to rent the food trucks for 12 hours and dish out hundreds of meals.

The food trucks are setting up shop in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ... almost all of which are critical battlegrounds that will most likely decide who wins the White House.

Joe Biden brought out some hip-hop allies for a COVID-safe event in A-town -- Offset and Common performed, and Outkast helped with his intro.

The Presidential candidate held a drive-in rally Tuesday in Atlanta, where dozens of cars pulled in and parked around a stage near the Cellairis Amphitheatre in Lakewood.

It was Joe's second stop of the day in the Peach State, and this one included some one-on-one time with warm-up acts.

Offset, an Atlanta-area native, performed his song, "Clout," while Common appeared to do a freestyle -- and then when Joe was intro'd, the DJ cranked up "Hey Ya!" Sure, playing Outkast feels like pandering to the ATL crowd, but hey ... just 7 days left to vote!

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff were also on hand to pump up the Biden/Harris ticket.

Early, in-person voting kicked off in NYC this weekend, and a few days later -- and exactly one week out from Election Day -- there are no signs of those lines fizzling out.

Check out the scores upon scores of people in the Big Apple Tuesday, all of whom are waiting up to about 3 hours just to cast their ballot in the flesh. These shots show a Iine stretching 5 city blocks -- 58th to 63rd Streets -- near Columbus Circle in Manhattan.

NYC voters seem dead set on the age-old tradition of voting in person ... even though mail-in voting is right there for the doing.

Of course, President Trump has sown a lot of doubt and apprehension about mail-in ballots -- not to mention widespread accusations of shenanigans at the U.S. Postal Service. So, people might have reason to be concerned.

Lebron James is dropping a special episode of "The Shop" this week -- because he booked Barack Obama!!!

"In Miami this weekend, I dropped by The Shop to talk with [LeBron] and [Maverick Carter] about the NBA bubble, the racial justice movement, and what's at stake over these next seven days," Obama said.

Bron and Obama are famously good friends who have been tight for years.

In fact, Obama reportedly counseled LeBron on how to make statements about social justice and police brutality while inside the NBA Bubble.

Plus, they both hate President Trump and are campaigning hard for Joe Biden.

LeBron also tweeted about the show -- saying, "It was such an honor.  My President giving us the perspective and motivation we need right now. GO VOTE!!!"

The Obama episode is set to drop on Friday, Oct. 30 on HBO and HBO Max.

The network is also touting that the special was produced under COVID-19 guidelines.

Producers are keeping a tight lid on the content so far -- but HBO's exec Vice President Nina Rosenstein gave this teaser -- "Their conversation with President Obama is candid, compelling and urgently relevant."

Raymond Santana, one of the exonerated Central Park Five, thinks President Trump's full of it when he says he's the "least racist person" ... and he's thanking Joe Biden for sticking up for them at the debate.

Raymond tells TMZ he firmly believes Trump's still very much a racist, despite what he claimed on the debate stage -- mainly because the President's never apologized for, or withdrawn, his statement that the 5 young men were guilty.

He says he's still walking on eggshells because Trump's refusal to acknowledge their innocence still influences people unfamiliar with the facts of the Central Park rape.

Trump's had beef with Raymond and his 4 friends since the crime was committed in 1989. The then real estate tycoon took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for their execution.

Raymond tells us he was grateful, emotional and relieved when Biden brought up the CP5 case at last week's Presidential debate.

He's applauding Biden for standing up to Trump, and says the look on Trump's face when Biden dressed him down was "priceless."

There were no eleventh-hour surprises -- Amy Coney Barrett got the votes she needed to be confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, which is now staunchly conservative.

President Trump's pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed by the Senate Monday with a final tally of 52 to 48 ... with Senator Susan Collins as the only Republican to join every Senate Democrat in voting no.

The confirmation comes just 8 days before Election Day and after Barrett's nomination was fast-tracked despite an outcry from Democrats, who think the American people should have a say in the makeup of the highest court in the land.

Senate Democrats huffed and puffed while unable to halt Barrett's confirmation ... and when all was said and done, a majority of the Senate overlooked recent precedent and determined ACB was deserving of a spot on SCOTUS.

Justice Clarence Thomas is expected to swear-in Barrett at the White House during tonight's outdoor ceremony.

As you know ... Barrett's confirmation gifts conservatives a 6-3 majority on the High Court, where she's likely to serve for decades as she's only 48 years old.

Get ready ... abortion rights, the Affordable Care Act, LGBTQ rights, voting rights and tons of other fundamental issues and policies are now squarely in the crosshairs of the justices.

Trouble may be just around the corner in this volatile election/pandemic year, because businesses coast-to-coast are starting to board up in anticipation of election unrest.

Washington D.C. is starting to shutter itself ahead of what might turn out to be a violent day and/or night. Check out these photos taken Monday in the business district of Downtown D.C. -- just a stone's throw from the White House. As you see, lots of different buildings and shops in the area are nailing up wooden boards to cover windows.

Construction crews are on hand doing their thing as passersby look on at an ominous scene -- folks don't usually do this unless they expect people to break in, like in a riot, for example.

D.C. isn't alone. Beverly Hills is bracing for unrest and the pricy shops on Rodeo Drive will also be boarded up ahead of November 3rd.

Lil Pump is taking a cue from 50 Cent, and throwing his support behind President Trump ... saying he doesn't wanna pay a dime more in taxes, as Joe Biden's proposing.

The rapper chirped up this weekend in pretty clear terms, posting a pic of him shaking hands with DT -- clearly photoshopped -- and a ringing video endorsement.

As for why ... it seems to be in line with what Fiddy voiced just last week when he endorsed Trump as well -- they're not down to fall into a new tax bracket under Biden's plan. If he wins, JB has said he would try to upend Trump's tax law and get folks who make more than $400k to chip in their fair share -- way more than what they're paying now.

Of course, both 50 and Pump fall into that category, and neither seem willing or eager to give up any more of their wealth to Uncle Sam.

It seems 50 didn't mean it after all -- or he's on the fence. He later said "F*** Trump" when his ex, Chelsea Handler, called him out on 'The Tonight Show.'

She said she'd be willing to give him another go in the bedroom if he changed his tune ... and sure enough, he did. When it comes to LP, though, he sounds a little more serious.

Here's another thing ... Pump is actually catching a ton of flak right now for his endorsement, but more so for his use of the n-word in his video (and in general).

Voters in Philadelphia turned waiting in long lines to cast their ballot into a fun experience ... by mixing in some "Cha Cha Slide."

The good times went down in Philadelphia, as a large group of voters waiting for early voting in the city Saturday passed the time with some group dancing ... moving in unison to the hit by DJ Casper usually reserved for wedding receptions.

The viral video's more than just a random feel-good moment though -- it's part of the work being done by Nelini Stamp of the Working Families Party, who's also the campaign director for Election Defenders.

Nelini and the nonpartisan coalition's goal is to assure that voters are "staying safe and healthy outside of polling places across the country and bringing them some joy."

More importantly, it's aimed to combat voter suppression and intimidation by bringing "Joy to the Polls" ... which kicked off this weekend in Pennsylvania for the inaugural Vote Early Day.

You've probably heard it a million times -- this is the most important election of our lives -- and it's probably the most expensive too ... based on the millions it's costing to try to keep voters safe.

Get this ... the estimated cost in L.A. County for this year's general election is $91.7 million -- $33 MILLION more than 2016's price tag of $58.5 mil.

We're told the added cost is the result of the massive amounts of products needed to clean and sanitize voting devices after each voter ... along with all the soap, sanitizer and PPE provided for voters and workers.

There are also added operational costs in making voting locations socially-distant compliant ... and special care for disabled voters or those with health vulnerabilities.

Houston's experiencing a similar surge in general election costs this year compared to 2016 -- $33.2 million up from just $4.06 mil ... according to a spokesperson for Harris County.

Among the new expenses -- providing PPE including masks, gloves, and a "finger condom" to all voters ... because all the voting stations have electronic touch screens.

Another pro-Trump parade is going down this weekend -- only now, in NYC ... where a group identifying as Jews are showing their MAGA support, and bringing things to a boiling point with counter-protesters.

An event being dubbed "Jews for Trump" kicked off Sunday in Manhattan, where a massive convoy of cars and trucks waving Trump 2020 and American flags were caravanning through the downtown area ... flanked by both cops who were protecting them, and anti-fascist protesters who were chirping from the sidelines. Some folks wearing Proud Boys garb were also there in the mix among the Trump crowd -- eventually, all the groups clashed.

It's hard to say what exactly is sparking the violence, but it's happening nonetheless. Here's one video in which a counter-protester takes a Trump flag out of one of the parading vehicles, which is parked momentarily. As that squabble seems to simmer down, another one pops up across the way -- where two NYPD officers are wrestling someone to the ground.

Not too long after, utter chaos breaks out as people start to square up and swing on each other. Some folks are trying to break it up, others are jumping in -- it's almost impossible to differentiate at times.

At one point, a counter-protester comes up behind one of the 'Jews for Trump' dudes and taps him in the head before trying to run away. As he's fleeing, he gets kicked in the leg and topples to the ground, with his head hitting the pavement hard. And, seconds later ... even more brawls break out in an adjacent section. Like we said, complete pandemonium.

Some people on the ground claim the cops are definitely team Trump here, because some of the officers are arresting counter-protesters at the behest of the MAGA crew ... who are apparently being safeguarded by those same cops using bikes to maintain crowd control.

This jives with what was just in the streets of NYC earlier this weekend -- namely, an NYPD squad car saying "Trump 2020" over its built-in loudspeaker ... which is a violation of police policy.

The First Lady was cheerfully tagging along with the President on his way to the debate this past week ... or so it seems, because an awful lot of people don't think it was actually her.

Here's a photo that was taken Thursday ahead of the debate in Nashville between Donald Trump and Joe Biden ... in which DT is seen boarding a chopper with who appears to be his wife, Melania, already on board, smiling at the crowd that was bidding them a farewell.

We say appears because a crap ton of folks have studied this photo and others captured in the same few seconds ... and they believe this lady's a FAKE stand-in, not the real Melania at all. Prepare yourself -- this is a deep dive, but stupidly important work nonetheless.

Some have gone to the extreme lengths of zooming in and comparing the lines around her mouth ... not to mention playing dentist and seeing differences in the teeth. By most accounts, the mugs here just don't match up -- from chomper size to the curve of her smile ... many Twitter truthers simply aren't buying this is the real McCoy, but rather ... a look-alike.

BTW, this isn't the first time a "fake Melania" theory has surfaced. It's cropped up at least twice before -- most notably, in 2019 ... when Trump and Melania visited tornado-stricken Alabama to survey the damage. She was rocking massive shades then too ... but many said there's no way that was FLOTUS -- speculating she's got a few different body doubles.