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Hunter Biden has pled not guilty to all charges in the DOJ's case accusing the President's son of tax evasion.

As we reported, President Joe Biden's son was indicted last month on 9 charges, including failure to pay taxes, evasion of assessment, filing false or fraudulent tax returns ... and more.

Hunter made his first appearance in the case Thursday ... appearing before Judge Mark C. Scarsi, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, at the federal courthouse in downtown L.A.

He faces up to 17 years behind bars if convicted.

Special counsel David Weiss brought the case after an investigation involving Hunter's business dealings overseas.

Prosecutors claim Hunter spent millions on an extravagant lifestyle instead of paying his taxes.

As we reported, Hunter was indicted on separate gun charges back in Sept ... originally getting a plea deal for both the federal tax case and the gun situation.

Jelly Roll says he was part of the drug problem in America -- but is hoping to be a part of the solution now ... taking a powerful stance against fentanyl in front of Congress.

The country singer/rapper was on Capitol Hill Thursday -- where he gave testimony about his own experience in this department ... going over his history as a drug dealer, and detailing how he came out the other side.

Jelly says his troubled past actually makes him the perfect person to throw his support behind the anti-fentanyl legislation that was being discussed here ... listing heartbreaking examples of how his life's been personally affected by the spiraling problem.

JR explains that he's attended more funerals for his loved ones than he cares to share ... fearing one day, he'll have to tell his teen daughter her drug addict mom has become a national statistic -- which sits at 190 people dying from an overdose daily.

JR -- who had 40 prison stints before the age of 22 -- says he thought selling drugs was a victimless crime ... and never thought America's drug epidemic would spiral from crack cocaine to opioids/OxyContin, and now fentanyl. Now, he's acknowledging how deadly fentanyl is ... and vowing to do everything he can to eradicate it, hence his words today.

Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley came out swinging during Wednesday's fifth 2024 Republican Primary Debate with each trading barbs as the two emerged as Donald Trump's biggest challengers in the upcoming Iowa Caucus.

With just 3 days to go before the polls open in Iowa, DeSantis duked it out with Haley onstage at Drake University in Des Moines, while the former President stayed on the sidelines as he did for the other four debates.

DeSantis got things rolling as he stood at a lectern next to Haley, slamming her and Trump in response to questions by CNN moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.

The Florida governor said, “Donald Trump’s running to pursue his issues. Nikki Haley’s running to pursue her donors’ issues. I’m running to pursue your issues and your family’s issues.”

DeSantis then isolated his attack to Haley, saying, “We don’t need another mealy-mouthed politician who just tells you what she thinks you want to hear.”

The ex-South Carolina governor landed some jabs of her own, calling DeSantis a liar at one point and needling him for losing his donors to her.

“He’s only mad about the donors because the donors used to be with him, but they’re no longer with him,” Haley said, adding, “His campaign is exploding.”

The insults didn't stop there. DeSantis mocked Haley for having a "problem with ballistic podiatry, shooting herself in the foot every other day."

Haley, as you know, stumbled over her Civil War comments, failing to name slavery as the trigger for the conflict and was roasted by the media as she had to clarify what she meant.

When they weren't at each other's throats, the two candidates discussed a range of issues, such as abortion, immigration, foreign affairs and the January 6th Capitol riots.

Sen. Chuck Schumer is one of a handful of lawmakers signaling a major shift in the U.S. government's approach to UFO reports -- further evidence people in power believe the truth needs to be uncovered.

The third part of the docuseries event, "TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution" examines who's leading the charge in Washington, DC, why they're doing it ... and what it means to the public.

Schumer and Sen. Mike Rounds introduced bipartisan legislation last year -- the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) -- to increase the government's transparency on reports of UAP activity, and it was passed last month.

Another critical voice in the fight for disclosure is Stanford Professor Dr. Garry Nolan, and he says the very public involvement of prominent lawmakers, particularly Schumer, proves UAP (or UFOs) are no longer a fringe issue.

As Garry puts it in episode 3, available now on Tubi, Schumer wouldn't sponsor the NDAA and risk reputation -- especially in a presidential election year -- if he didn't believe there's something behind it.

Schumer was also a close friend of the late Sen. Harry Reid -- one of the trailblazers of the UFO movement -- and that's another reason he's pushing for transparency.

Filmmaker and journalist Jeremy Corbell, who's been leading our investigation, says getting DC "pit bulls" on board could potentially take this search for answers to places he never before thought possible.

Chris Christie has officially bowed out of the race for President ... but just before he did, he was caught talking trash about Nikki Haley.

The former New Jersey Governor was picked up on a hot mic Wednesday ahead of announcing he's pulling out of the presidential race ... talking to someone about who can potentially hold their own in the primaries.

You can hear him say, "She's gonna get smoked" and "She's not up to this," referring to Haley.

This was Christie's 2nd attempt at the White House. BTW -- he went up against Donald Trump in 2016, but pulled out after his approval rating was simply anemic.

This time around, he went up against Trump, Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy -- and things got heated between the candidates on the debate floor.

Vivek fat-shamed CC in December, shutting him down on the topic of foreign policy by saying, "Just walk yourself off that stage, enjoy a nice meal, and get the hell out of this race."

While Trump was absent from all debates, Christie let him have it nonetheless -- calling him Donald Duck, citing how often the former President was "ducking" the debates.

Hunter Biden's causing chaos in Congress ... with Republicans and Democrats at each other's throats over a "white privilege" jab aimed at President Biden's son.

Hunter made a surprise appearance Wednesday on Capitol Hill, strolling into a hearing where lawmakers were starting the process of holding him in criminal contempt of Congress ... and his presence caused quite the stir.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace quickly took aim at Hunter, saying ... "You are the epitome of white privilege, coming into the Oversight Committee, spitting in our face, ignoring a Congressional subpoena to be deposed, what are you afraid of?

Nancy didn't stop there, adding ... "You have no balls to come up here."

Hunter sat quietly as chaos ensued with lawmakers yelling over one another before order was somewhat restored.

Soon after, Hunter left the room and the attention followed ... but the "white privilege" remark left a mark ... at least with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who said it was a "spit in the face" as a Black woman. Jasmine ripped into Nancy and the GOP, saying if anyone is the epitome of white privilege it's them.

BTW, there was even more chaos once Hunter abruptly left the room ... he was being followed by a massive crush of reporters -- a couple of whom asked him about his prior drug use, particularly as it pertains to crack. Check it out ... it's absolutely wild.

Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon definitely don't see eye to eye on a lot of stuff, but that didn't stop the former Fox News anchor from congratulating Don on joining him on Team X.

As you know, Don entered a partnership with X -- formerly Twitter -- on Tuesday, where he'll have a new 30-minute show airing on the platform 3 times a week, and which comes after his firing from CNN last year.

The whole thing was similar to Tucker's situation, as he's already got a show on X. Remember, the 2 of them got canned on the same day, and Tucker extended an olive branch to the guy, despite their long-standing beef ... telling him, "Congratulations. It’s a new world.”

Doesn't mean the dust has settled in their drama, though -- Don replied in the most polite, yet unenthusiastic way possible ... "Thanks Tucker."

Tucker and Don would often butt heads while they were doing their cable news shows ... with Tucker insulting Don and mispronouncing his name on purpose, and Don calling Tucker for what he saw as wild takes.

7:29 AM PT -- Silt PD Chief Mike Kite tells TMZ Jayson Boebert's arrest Tuesday stems from two different arrest warrants -- one from their own department and another from the Garfield Sheriff's Office, noting that the offenses on their end (Silt PD) pertain to disorderly conduct, obstructing and criminal trespass ... whereas the Garfield charges relate to the other violations.

We're told the restaurant incident from this weekend is still under investigation, and one other interesting thing ... the Chief here tells us Rep. Boebert did NOT punch Jayson twice, as some witnesses claimed. The whole thing is still a little hazy, but Kite says the probe should be wrapped soon -- with more answers to come.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's ex-husband Jayson was just arrested for a number of offenses after the two got into a nasty altercation in Colorado over the weekend.

Jayson was cooling his heels in the Garfield County Jail on six misdemeanors/petty violations Tuesday before he was later released on $2,500 bond, a rep for the correctional facility told TMZ.

He was booked on prohibited use of weapons, assault, harassment and obstructing a peace officer – all misdemeanors -- as well as trespass and disorderly conduct, both of which are considered petty crimes.

The Silt Police Department has been investigating the former couple since Saturday when the two got into a confrontation in a local restaurant.

Eyewitnesses told TMZ that Lauren slugged Jayson twice in the nose, but the Republican Colorado congresswoman categorically denied the accusations. Our sources say an unknown person called 911, but quickly hung up.

Silt PD has yet to confirm Jayson's bust was connected to the restaurant incident, but we'll keep you posted on any updates. For the record, Lauren has not been arrested or charged in connection with breaking the law.

As you may recall, Lauren filed for divorce from Jayson last April after more than 15 years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences." Their divorce was reportedly finalized in October 2023.

Melania Trump's mother has passed away -- this according to the former First Lady.

The ex-FLOTUS announced the sad news about her mom, Amalija Knavs, Tuesday on X -- writing, "It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija."

She adds, "Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity.  She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy."

Melania did not reveal a cause of death -- but her mother's health had recently been in the news ... with her husband, Donald Trump, reportedly telling a NYE crowd at Mar-a-Lago that Amalija had fallen "very ill" ... while suggesting she was hospitalized in Miami.

Melania wasn't on hand for Trump's New Year's bash ... and he sent well-wishes to both.

Amalija was of European descent, but actually immigrated to the States and became a U.S. citizen alongside her husband, Victor, in 2018 -- something MT touted at the time with pride. Before that, they'd been here in America through green card sponsorships, via their daughter.

She was reportedly close with Melania, and had even started to grow a solid relationship with her grandson, Barron. Amalija had been living at Mar-a-Lago of late -- and before that, they even lived part-time at the White House ... having been spotted countless times.

She was 78.

Lara Trump kicked off 2024 scandalizing the MAGA folks with her revealing New Year's Eve attire -- though the backlash is rooted in jealousy, according to the dress' designer.

"Project Runway" alum Oscar Lopez, who designed Lara's NYE dress, tells TMZ he's sticking by the thigh-high split/plunging white gown, which was branded 'trashy,' 'inappropriate' and 'disrespectful' by folks on social media ... saying he actually designed it with sensuality and elegance in mind.

He says he worked closely with Lara to ensure the final creation aligned with the empowering message they wanted to portray ... while staying true to Lara's confident personal style -- though Oscar notes the gym bunny looks great in anything cause she's got a fantastic figure.

Oscars says Lara was content to wear the final look ... and he's got no regrets about working with her.

As for the controversy, Oscar notes fashion is a subjective and interpretive art form, eliciting a range of reactions -- it's just a shame his skin-baring design has divided opinion.

He confirms Lara's aware of the scrutiny -- but she ain't letting it faze her cause she respects the diverse opinions that come with being in the public eye.

9:23 AM PT -- Donald Trump just addressed after his court hearing this AM in DC -- and it sounds like he might've not been made aware of this troubling hot mic comments ... just take a listen.

DT said that while he was dismayed by the case and the charges in general -- continuing to insist he's getting railroaded over politics -- he did thank the media for covering this one "fairly." Of course, what the journos were joking about out there seem to indicate a slant.

That's putting it lightly ...

Covering Donald Trump's arrival at a federal court is hardly the time or place to be talking about assassinations, much less making jokes about them ... but that's what 2 journalists did, and they got busted on hot microphones.

The 2 unnamed journalists were outside the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse Tuesday morning in Washington, DC -- waiting for the former president to pull up -- when they started assessing their position and whether they'd have a good view of Trump.

Apparently, they forgot where they were and what they do for a living ... because with open mics all around they start joking about Trump possibly showing up in a convertible -- a la President John F. Kennedy in his ill-fated Dallas motorcade on Nov. 22, 1963.

One guy says to the other, "Maybe someone, just like they told JFK, 'Y'know what ya should do, you should take a convertible!" Hahaha.

The video shows police officers standing just a few feet away from the mystery journos, but it's unclear if the cops heard the remarks. It's certainly possible the Secret Service will take an interest in the video.

Trump showed up at the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals -- in a motorcade of SUVs, for what it's worth -- to argue he should have immunity from prosecution in special counsel Jack Smith's election subversion case.

While the journalists were clearly joking -- it's the kinda thing reporters do while passing time at major events -- this kinda humor never sits well with those protecting Presidents ... past, present or future.

Vivek Ramaswamy is hoping Jake Paul can deliver a knockout punch for him on the campaign trail ... which is why they're teaming up for a critical stretch in his bid for the GOP nomination.

The presidential primary season starts next Monday in Iowa ... and we're told Jake and Vivek will be side-by-side on Sunday as they travel around the state urging Gen-Zers to come out and vote.

Vivek's spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, tells TMZ ... "We're very excited Jake's joining on the campaign trail and we're hoping it can really drive out younger people."

She goes on to say that while Vivek is seeing a lot of enthusiasm from young voters, Jake's star power and ability to command a crowd is going to be a major asset on the eve of the Iowa caucus.

We're told the duo will travel in Vivek's private plane to events at 4 of the biggest universities in Iowa ... all as part of the "Commit to Caucus Rally."

Tricia says Vivek talked to Jake about joining the campaign trail a few weeks ago ... when he attended Jake's fight against Andre August in Florida. As we reported, Jake hooked up Vivek with ringside seats.

Make no mistake, Ramaswamy needs a big spark. Recent polls show he's well under 10 percent of likely Iowa GOP caucus voters ... but Vivek's campaign is adamant they're tapping into a group of voters that isn't accounted for in those polls.

Donald Trump's encouraging his supporters to stop people on Election Day that they suspect might be up to no good ... and he's using fecal descriptions to send his message.

The ex-Prez was out campaigning in Iowa Friday -- which is about to kick off its caucus voting on Jan. 15 -- and he made no bones about what he wants MAGA loyalists to do during this presidential election in November ... put a halt to the BS, emphasis on s***.

Check out the clip ... DT ominously tells the crowd that he expects them to roam around election centers and keep an eye out for "bags of crap" that might try to infiltrate.

If the MAGA voters see any of that ... he encourages them to put a stop to it right there at the booths. On its face, it almost sounds like he's cosigning some physical confrontations.

Poop jokes aside, this is pretty serious ... and it comes across as a warning of conflicts to come as we get closer to voting day itself. Already, it's sounding like Trump is stoking the flames of election interference/tampering -- and he's riling up his base right now in January.

Of course, we've seen that story before and how it played out ... namely, Jan. 6, 2021.

It's, perhaps, no coincidence then that Trump was talking this way on the eve of the 3-year anniversary of that. And yes, he continues to insist the 2020 election was "stolen."

A MSNBC host choked back tears live on the air while talking to a cop who was on the front lines of Jan. 6 -- and in other news ... new fugitives are in custody 3 years to the day.

Anchor Jonathan Capehart brought former Metro D.C. officer Michael Fanone on his Saturday morning program, and after recapping what had happened on 1/6/21 and introducing him ... JC got emotional on camera before he passed things off to his guest.

Watch ... you can tell the heartfelt moment wasn't lost on Fanone, who also seemed to be stirred. Capehart took out a handkerchief and wiped his face a bit as he gathered himself.

Like we said, Fanone was one of the many officers on the scene on Jan. 6 -- and he nearly lost his life as MAGA supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress's certification of the 2020 election ... this after Donald Trump gave a speech earlier in the day.

Fanone has made the rounds on cable news and on Capitol Hill in the years since ... relaying his harrowing near-death experience and denouncing the rioters' motives and actions.

His story continues to touch hearts ... including Capehart's, who broke down in front of him.

BTW, the Jan. 6 arrests continue to this day too ... including 3 new ones that were just announced Saturday by the FBI. The feds say they've captured a trio of fugitives whom they'd been looking for since '21 ... Jonathan and Olivia Pollock and Joseph Hutchinson.

Nikki Haley is digging a deeper hole for herself as she continues her apology tour to rectify her comments on the Civil War -- because she's playing the ol' "Black friends" card.

She was asked about her thoughts over the backlash to her blunder during CNN's town hall in Des Moines Thursday night ... the Republican presidential hopeful told host Erin Burnett she should've said slavery was a catalyst for the Civil War straight off the bat.

Nikki elaborated, though, saying she believed the slavery part of it was obvious to her, because South Carolinians grow up talking about the topic -- and not-so-subtly slipped in the line, "I had Black friends growing up ... it is a very talked about thing."

She emphasized that she's always associated the Civil War with slavery ... and with her response, she was merely trying to highlight the lesson learned going forward.

The controversy kicked off Dec 27 at a campaign stop in Berlin, NH, when Haley left out the fact that slavery triggered the bloody conflict between the Union and the Confederacy in the 1800s.

Haley was criticized by the media and pretty much everyone else -- including ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon who blasted her apology tour, saying she didn't show him any grace when he said she was past her prime during a live TV broadcast.

Michael Jackson, David Copperfield and Stephen Hawking are on Jeffrey Epstein's list of associates -- and while there's no evidence any of them had anything to do with the infamous sex offender's crimes, one was allegedly suspicious.

Copperfield was named 6 times in the documents -- which were made public Wednesday -- including in the deposition of alleged victim, Johanna Sjöberg, who said she and another girl had dinner with the magician at Epstein's home.

During the dinner, Johanna asked the other young-looking girl what school she went to, and when she didn't recognize the name of the school as being a college ... she said the girl might have been of high school age.

Copperfield apparently had a similar feeling -- according to the docs, Johanna testified, he "questioned me if I was aware that girls were getting paid to find other girls."

Copperfield's involvement with Epstein has previously been made public ... in a 2019 article from the New York Times, which detailed Ghislaine Maxwell's involvement in scouting young girls. Maxwell never accused Copperfield of any wrongdoing.

Sjöberg also testified that Michael Jackson visited Epstein's Palm Beach home, though she didn't allege he did anything illegal.

Meanwhile, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking was also named in the newly released filing ... where it's claimed Epstein told Maxwell she'd offer money to Virginia Giuffre's friends if they'd "help prove" an allegation that Stephen participated in an "underage orgy" was false.

The 3 have been named after a judge ordered documents relating to Virginia's civil suit against Maxwell could be made public.

Also on the list are former President Donald Trump and Prince Andrew. The British royal allegedly had sexual encounters with Virginia ... though he's denied it.

Former President Bill Clinton is also featured in the newly unsealed court documents ... where it's claimed Epstein told one of his sex abuse victims Bill likes his girls young.

Despite the allegations ... Bill was in good spirits alongside his wife Hillary as he explored the charming streets of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico Wednesday ... the pair making time to stop and chat with locals.