White House

President Biden's dog, Major, will soon have a new four-legged pal around the White House ... 'cause the Bidens are getting a cat and they made sure Major can handle it.

Biden and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, told "Today" Major underwent special training that included the German Shepard visiting a cat shelter to see how he reacts around cats ... and he did fine.

When "Today" co-anchor Craig Melvin brought up Major, Biden joked, "We were going to bring him in to see you" ... to which Melvin replied, "Well, I don’t know if that’s the best idea based on what I’ve heard about Major."

Jill defended Major ... calling him a "sweet, lovable dog."

Major, of course, has had 2 biting incidents at the White House ... with the first one getting him and his pal, Champ, sent back to Delaware last month. Major eventually returned but just days later there was another biting incident ... prompting some extra handlers and a new trainer.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi just made history before President Biden's first address to Congress ... celebrating the moment with a super cool elbow bump!!!

It's the first time in our nation's history two women are flanking an American president inside the House Chamber ... and Kamala and Nancy marked the occasion in style.

The mutual respect didn't stop with the iconic elbow bump, Kamala and Nancy also shook hands, even though they aren't supposed to get so close due to coronavirus protocols.

But, hey, this is a huge deal, so it's easy to understand how they could get caught up in the moment.

And, this is super interesting ... the two women who just made history tonight are not only both from Cali, they're both from the Bay Area. As Pelosi said today, there must be something in the water!

Get ready to see the elbow bump in history books one day, but in the meantime, we're sure it will get the meme and GIF treatment.

If Rep. Karen Bass were a betting woman, she's close to betting the house, no pun intended, on Congress passing police reform legislation and getting it signed by President Biden in no time.

The U.S. Congresswoman for California's 37th District joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and laid out surprisingly good odds for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to get the necessary votes in, not only in the House, but in the Senate ... where Republicans have numbers to stall or kill the bill.

Bass, who introduced the bill in June 2020, says she's been working closely with Sen. Tim Scott -- who's spearheading efforts to gather enough Republican votes -- and she believes he's fully committed to getting it passed. Right now she's putting their odds of success at 80 percent, but explains she might go even higher than that.

The bill aims to ban chokeholds, no-knock warrants and profiling, and also to set national standards for police training ... among many other things.

Just like most of us over the last year, the White House is leaning on Zoom to conduct meetings and get face time with folks amid the pandemic, but chances are President Biden's Zoomin' is MUCH more expensive than yours.

According to federal docs obtained by TMZ ... the Executive Office of the President has spent a little more than $422,000 on Zoom licensing fees since mid-January, right around the time Biden took office.

That might seem pretty hefty -- especially for those who mostly use Zoom for free or at a low cost to chat with family and friends ... but the licenses needed for the government to use Zoom, at the capacity required for the Prez, really add up.

As you might know ... Biden's been on Zoom a lot lately, including for the current virtual Global Climate Summit with dozens of other world leaders.

POTUS also swore in hundreds of federal appointees and staff via virtual Zoom ceremonies after his inauguration.

Donald Trump shoulda called 1-800-NOBILLS, because his now-defunct campaign is being dunned by a bill collector after its client got royally stiffed.

The City of Albuquerque shelled out more than $200k for security-related costs associated with a 2019 campaign rally ... this according to The Hill. The City had blocked off City Hall, among other areas of town, and it required massive police presence, which forced the City to pay cops a bundle of OT. There were many other expenses as well.

The rally was held in the nearby city of Rio Rancho. A spokesperson for the City said campaign honchos told them from the jump they wouldn't cover the expenses, but now the matter has been referred to a debt collection agency.

The campaign has also stiffed the city of Rio Rancho to the tune of $239,475. And, Bernalillo County also sent the campaign an invoice for nearly $140,000, which has now been written off as a bad debt.

Apparently, some of the notices of delinquent payment were sent to Trump's doorstep at Mar-a-Lago.

This isn't the only case where the Trump campaign allegedly cut and run. The City of El Paso hired lawyers to try and recover more than half a mil for rally-related expenses for a 2019 rally.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris just reacted to the guilty verdict that was handed down in the Derek Chauvin murder trial ... and they say it's a catalyst for ending systemic racism.

Biden says he told George Floyd's daughter, Gianna, her father "changed the world" ... and he's calling on Americans to unite behind the guilty verdict and help make the country a better place where folks don't have reason to fear law enforcement.

POTUS says Floyd's murder in broad daylight ripped the blinders off and allowed the world to see the systemic racism rooted in America ... and Biden says the verdict is a step towards changing the country's trajectory.

Harris says the guilty verdict offers a bit of relief, but it can't bring back Floyd or take away his family's pain ... and she says now's the time to reform policing in America.

In the courthouse hallway moments after the verdict, Biden called the Floyd family and expressed his feelings that justice was served.

As you know by now, a Minneapolis jury just found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder and third-degree murder for killing Floyd during his arrest on May 25, 2020. Chauvin was also found guilty of second-degree manslaughter.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Prez commented that he had checked in on Floyd's family and told them he was "praying the verdict is the right verdict." He also called the Chauvin case "overwhelming."

The Chauvin verdict does not mean the overwhelming nature of the case is over ... as the 3 other officers involved in Floyd's arrest are due to stand trial soon as well.

Walter Mondale, the influential former Senator, Vice President and Democratic nominee for president, is dead.

Mondale, who served as President Jimmy Carter's veep from 1977 to 1981, died Monday in Minneapolis ... according to his family.

Known as Fritz to loved ones, friends and voters, Mondale was the Democratic nominee for president in 1984 after transforming the VP role while serving alongside Carter ... but he lost the general election in a landslide to Ronald Reagan.

Despite missing out on the presidency, Mondale made history with his running mate Geraldine Ferraro ... making her the first woman to run for VP on a major party's ticket.

Mondale was the first VP to take on a larger role, becoming a model for those who followed ... including Joe Biden, Dick Cheney, Al Gore and George H.W. Bush.

In fact, Biden famously said Mondale was the first person he called when Barack Obama asked him to be vice president.

Mondale was born and raised in Minnesota and served as the state's U.S. Senator for 12 years from 1964 to 1976, helping boost civil rights, social programs and environmental protections during Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency.

He also served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan for 3 years, being appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton.

Mondale was 93.

The L.A. Lakers will NOT visit Joe Biden at the White House next week to celebrate their 2019-20 NBA championship -- but it ain't a protest.

Unlike every NBA team during the Trump administration, the Lakers are NOT choosing to skip the Biden visit for political reasons -- it's all about COVID protocols and scheduling conflicts, according to multiple outlets.

The Lakers will be in D.C. to take on the Washington Wizards on April 28th -- and championship teams have historically scheduled the celebratory White House during road trips in the area.

But, it won't happen this time.

However, the Lakers -- including superstar LeBron James -- are open to a future meeting with President Biden ... possibly later or even after the season.

Hey, they're all busy people!

Plus, the NBA has strongly discouraged teams from participating in large public gatherings -- which could be one of the reasons they're pressing pause on the White House visit for now.

During President Trump's term -- zero NBA or WNBA championship teams visited the White House.

The Warriors, Raptors and Lakers were all outspokenly against the visit -- and Trump, in turn, either withdrew his invitation or never extended one.

Same with the WNBA teams and nearly every major college basketball champion with one exception ... the Baylor women's team visited after their 2019 title win.

Sylvester Stallone has hung his hat in Florida, but a recent report saying he's become a member of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago is flat out wrong ... TMZ has learned.

A story ran earlier this week claiming Sly was a newly-minted member of the club, having recently been spotted inside Mar-a-Lago's walls.

Sly's reps, however, say Sly is not, and has never been, a member at Mar-a-Lago. The rep tells us he was recently an invited dinner guest at the club, but does not own a residence on the golf course, nor has he paid for a membership.

While he isn't a member at Mar-a-Lago, we're told Sly remains a member of The Breakers Club, also located in Palm Beach.

The Rock may be blowing smoke about running for President in 2024, but it's looking increasingly like he's serious.

A poll shows 46% of the people surveyed felt he'd be a good enough Prez to gain their support. And, check out our own TMZ poll today ... very similar.

He said, "I don't think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club -- but if it ever happens it'd be my honor to serve you, the people."

It's unreal how Americans assume an entertainer they like could pivot to the White House, but that's clearly the case. At a point there's going to be a disclaimer for candidates ... NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.

If Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson does indeed run for U.S. President as he's hinted he might, he nearly has all the votes needed to win already ... at least based on a new poll.

The former WWE superstar turned Hollywood A-lister has the support of 46 percent of adult Americans if he were to make a Presidential run in 2024 ... according to a recent online poll of 30,138 potential voters between April 2 and April 4.

The same poll found 29 percent would support dual campaigns by The Rock for POTUS and Matthew McConaughey for Texas Governor ... something the actor's also suggested he's considering.

Other notable poll results include 30% support for Angelina Jolie for Prez, 27% for Oprah ... and a shockingly low 22% for Tom Hanks.

Overall though, nearly 2 out of 3 adults polled said they believe celebs make good politicians if they have a good team and possess "political aptitude."

As ridiculous as that may seem to some, it also makes sense. Ex-Prez Donald Trump still has major support in the Republican party, and several other past Hollywood stars went on to make big political splashes ... Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Al Franken and Ronald Reagan, just to name a few.

As for the Rock ... he's been floating the idea of a White House run since 2016, and added fuel to the fire on 'Ellen' in 2017 and 'The Late Show' in 2018 by continuing to say he's seriously considering it.

Pete Buttigieg says his boss's big-ticket infrastructure plan is overdue for modern American life -- but he's got even more to say about his new gig and his first run-in with Major!

The Transportation Secretary will be on 'TMZ Live' Tuesday ... pushing President Biden's robust American Jobs Plan -- a $2.3 TRILLION proposal he just unveiled, which entails sweeping changes not just to roads and bridges ... but a heck of a lot more, including stuff you'd never think of as traditional "infrastructure."

Pete says folks shouldn't find this bill or its vaulted price tag too daunting ... because the definition of infrastructure for Americans in 2021 has evolved, and this plan reflects that.

We also got into his day-to-day on the job, and turns out ... he and other Biden officials just recently got together for their first cabinet meeting. Check out how Pete describes it -- beyond having to keep it COVID-friendly, it sounds inspiring.

Of course, we also had to ask Pete about the President's pooch ... Major, who's had a streak of bad luck lately with a couple biting incidents. He tells us he's actually interacted with the canine himself, and by his account ... there's nothing to fear!

What a shock ... Russians cast their vote on the sexiest man in the country, and guess who won?

Yep, the guy with the killer smile, Vladimir Putin, snagged top honors ... maybe under fear of death. More than 2,000 Russians say the 68-year-old dictator is the hottest man in the land.

The Moscow Times published the results -- 18% of Russian men and 17% of Russian women thought Putin also ruled when it came to looks.  We're guessing it was a secret vote, because God help the remaining 82% if the sexiest man finds out they didn't vote for him.

Some of the 80+% may be in the clear ... turns out 19% of the men surveyed said THEY were the sexiest in the land. And, 18% of the women said there were no sexy men in Russia.

The Midsummer Classic will no longer go down in Atlanta this year ... MLB announced Friday it's relocating its 2021 All-Star Game after Georgia passed its new voting law this week.

League commish Rob Manfred just made the surprising announcement ... explaining he and the MLB do not agree with GA's new law that many believe suppresses the voting rights of minorities in the Peach State.

"Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views," Manfred said.

"I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft."

Manfred continued, "Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box."

Georgia's new law imposes more red tape for those looking to vote absentee, it cuts the number of drop boxes for ballots, and it reportedly will allow government officials more power to intervene in elections.

The law also makes it illegal for members of the public to hand out food and water to people waiting in line to vote.

Opposers of the law have claimed all of the new rules and regulations are designed to make it more difficult for minorities to vote in the state ... and President Joe Biden made it clear this week he shares the same opinion.

Biden spoke with ESPN on Wednesday night and ripped the new law ... calling it "Jim Crow on steroids." Biden also said he'd support MLB officials if they decided to move the ASG out of the state over it all.

Manfred said Friday it's unclear where the game's new location will be ... but he added, "We will continue with our plans to celebrate the memory of Hank Aaron during this season’s All-Star festivities."

"In addition, MLB’s planned investments to support local communities in Atlanta as part of our All-Star Legacy Projects will move forward."

Dr. Jill Biden has another successful prank under her belt -- all it took was a flight attendant's costume, a wig and a name badge to get her staff laughing their asses off during a cross-country flight.

The First Lady's April Fool's Day stunt was so good even the Secret Service fell for it hard while traveling with her on her plane, Executive One Foxtrot. Jill reportedly dressed the part with a short black wig, black pantsuit and black face mask.

Her name badge ID'd her as Jasmine. She then hit up the cabin to pass out Dove ice cream bars to staffers, Secret Service and the press pool. Five minutes later ... Jill returned without her wig to reveal it was all just a good 'ol fashion April Fool's joke.

The prank was so good ... Jill's senior advisor, Anthony Bernal, and her press secretary, Michael LaRosa, were laughing pretty hard. Dr. Biden, who was returning to D.C. after a trip to California, is known for not passing up a good prank opportunity.

President Biden's usually her target, like that one time during his first term as VP on a trip to California -- Jill stuffed herself into the baggage compartment of Air Force Two.

Joe explained to Rachael Ray back in 2014, "We get in Air Force Two, we're flying and I'm saying, 'where the hell is Jill?' And, I open up the baggage compartment on top, above, you know? And, she jumps out of the compartment. This is the Second Lady of the United States of America jumping out of the overhead baggage compartment."

President Biden's dog, Major, is still hanging around 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. after his latest biting incident ... but now it looks like he's got his own team of aides.

Biden's rescue German Shepherd was back on the White House South Lawn Wednesday for his morning stroll ... the first time we've seen the pooch since he nipped at someone Monday while walking on WH grounds.

As we reported ... Major's latest bite victim needed medical attention. The pup was previously sent home to Delaware after nipping at a White House staffer, but the Prez said that bite didn't break the skin.

As you can see, Major's got some extra handlers with him now ... and the man with the white hair is reportedly Major's new main trainer, Dale Haney.

Biden's older German Shepherd, Champ, is also rolling with Major, but interestingly the older dog's allowed to be off-leash. Keep in mind, Champ hasn't bitten anyone.