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Kanye West enlisted a small army of signature gatherers in several states in order to make the presidential ballot, and even though he spent a fortune ... he still came up short in spots where he dropped a lot of cash.

According to a source at Let the Voters Decide -- the 3rd-party petitioning group Kanye's been using this summer -- the rapper's campaign paid them between $3.5 and $4.5 MILLION across 15 states to send workers out for John Hancocks.

We've covered many of the individual states where the group has been dispersed on Kanye's behalf, but we're told one of the biggest chunks of money went toward Arizona -- where Ye allegedly dished out $1 million to get 93,000 signatures -- only to have a judge bar him from the ballot anyway.

The same is true in Ohio and Virginia -- where our source says Kanye's campaign allegedly spent $325k and $300k respectively to gather signatures ... only to not make the ballot.

As we reported, Kanye also spent at least $30k with LTVD in Illinois -- and that ended poorly for him -- and though it's unclear what he spent in Wisconsin ... he's currently been booted from the ballot in that state too for missing a deadline by just seconds.

Of course, without paying big bucks to Let the Voters Decide, he likely wouldn't have made the prez ballot in states like Kentucky -- where we're told he spent $400k -- or Iowa, where he dropped $80k. He's currently made the ballot in 12 states.

BTW -- the bill keeps growing for Ye, because as you recall, he's already reported $6 million he's spent and disclosed in his first financial report with the FEC earlier this month, which outlined various disbursements to other companies to get him on various ballots.

So, it begs the question ... is it all worth it? Kanye's running as an independent, but many believe his campaign is being fueled by pro-Trump operatives and having his name on the ballot will mostly hurt Joe Biden. Ye denies he's working with Trump and co.

Tom Brady and Russell Wilson were both devastated to hear their former teammate James White's father died in a car crash Sunday ... with Brady saying he's "so heartbroken."

White's dad, former Miami-Dade Police Captain Tyrone White, was killed in a violent crash at around 1 PM in Cooper City, Fla. -- just hours before White's Patriots were set to play the Seahawks.

Cops say when they responded to the two-car accident, one vehicle was flipped over, while the other was on fire.

Officers say Tyrone was pronounced dead at the scene ... while White's mother, a passenger in Tyrone's car, was transported to the hospital, reportedly in critical condition.

White ended up sitting out the Patriots loss to Seattle after hearing the news ... and before, during and after the game -- NFL stars like Brady and Wilson expressed their condolences to the RB.

"So heartbroken to hear the news of the tragedy of my great friend and forever teammate," said Brady, who played with White for years in New England. "There are few people that come into your life that do EVERYTHING the right way... James is one of them."

"His parents raised an amazing son. And we are all grieving with James as he is going through this difficult time. Love you my friend."

Added Wilson, who played with White at Wisconsin before the two were NFL stars ... "My heart's been heavy all day thinking about him ... James, I'm praying for you, man."

"Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn feels very confident Netflix will bring back the hit show for a fourth season ... which she calls good vibes for her and her "thirsty bitches."

We got Christine outside The London Hotel in WeHo and asked her if Netflix had tipped its hand about extending the show's run, and ... womp, womp. She said they haven't anything yet, but she definitely argued why it should be a no-brainer.

You can tell Christine's plugged in and ready to sell "Selling Sunset" to any Netflix execs sitting on the fence. She rattled off some stats for us.

Now, her costar, Chrishell Stause, dropped what seems a big clue by posting a pic with the rest of the gang with the caption, "Carpe Diem!! Celebrating good news we can't tell you about" along with the hashtag #SellingSunset.

Huge clue? Anyway, Christine says she doesn't anticipate any big changes in the cast because, in her words, "all the bitches are so thirsty they'll do anything for a dollar." Again, her words.

It's worth noting ... Brett Oppenheim left the firm to start his own brokerage. Brett and Jason, who are twins, ran The Oppenheim Group ... the real estate firm which the show centered around. But, Christine says fans shouldn't worry about Brett's departure 'cause she thinks he'll still be around ... assuming season 4's a go.

54-year-old Mike Tyson is still an elite fighter who could give the greatest heavyweights in the world a serious run for their money -- so says Iron Mike's legendary trainer.

TMZ Sports talked to Rafael Cordero -- owner of SoCal's Kings MMA, regarded as one of the best combat sport coaches -- about Mike ... who's fighting Roy Jones Jr. in November.

Cordero -- who says Tyson is training 6 to 8 hours a day -- told us Mike is actually better than he was decades ago when he was heavyweight champ of the world ... so we asked, could he put up a fight against Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder?

"I believe Mike can do it. If he put his mind, he wanna fight for the belt one day, why not? Who say it's impossible to do?" Rafael says.

"He's fighting every single day in the gym and I believe the best still to come. Why not? If one day he want to prove, he put his techniques to the test, why not [fight for] for the belt?"

FYI, 32-year-old, 6'9", 30-0-1 Fury, 30-year-old, 6'6", 24-1 Joshua, and 34-year-old, 6'7", 42-1-1 Wilder are considered the 3 top heavyweights in the world.

Not all storage unit auctions turn into huge scores of priceless treasure ... case in point -- Daniel Baldwin's old unit scooped up by one of the "Storage Wars" stars.

Rene Nezhoda, one of the stars of the A&E series, recently bought a repoed storage unit belonging to the actor and Baldwin brother for $1,100. So, what did he find inside??? A bunch of model train stuff.

There were boxes of other items too, but according to Rene, most of that stuff is worthless junk ... including old clothes, CDs, movie scripts, stereo gear and Christmas decorations.

The good news -- Rene estimates the model trains, tracks and related equipment is worth as much as $2,500 ... so he thinks he can break even by doing some work and hawking it.

Still, he's less than thrilled with the Baldwin buy, and when you compare it to his recent discovery of Kobe Bryant treasures -- or even his 'Dude Perfect' score last year ... it's easy to understand.

As for how Daniel's storage unit came up for grabs ... we're told it's from 2009 and he must have stopped paying the bill, because he racked up $40k in fees to the facility. Sounds like he just forgot about it.

Before this teased out tot was acting in an iconic performance for a memorable '90s film, she was just another blonde beauty taking her school photos in San Fransisco, California.

This preppy pip-squeak is best known for playing a character who rocks a yellow plaid outfit ... among many other stylish looks from her high-tech closet. She shares the screen on this high school set with numerous stars including Paul Rudd, whose career was also launched by his role.

Now, this mother of one spends her time on Netflix with a bunch of babysitters.

As if ...

Lil Wayne is about to be another year older, so to celebrate ... his Young Money partner made him a new car owner, with a sweet little announcement about new tunes in tow.

As you might be aware ... Weezy's turning 38 next Sunday, but Mack Maine simply couldn't wait with his gift -- the guy literally pulled up on Wayne a whole week early just to make a special pre-bday delivery. It's a 2020 McLaren 720S ... apparently fresh off the lot too!

TMZ obtained video of the hand-off of keys, and you can clearly see how stoked Wayne is here. He even captured some video of his own and threw it up on the Gram in awe.

Wayne also took to Twitter to praise the early present, saying ... "So my brudda Mack just bought me a McLaren....!!!!!!....wtf!!!!!......'u know I ride for my MF *****' (my voise)." This ride did NOT come cheap BTW -- our sources it ran Mack around $400k, and lights up a different color when the sun goes down. So, yeah ... top-of-the-line custom for the label head.

But, wait ... there's more. Mack also came bearing some good news for music fans everywhere -- announcing that Young Money was putting a deluxe version of "Tha Carter V" on Friday. He was even slapping some of the tracks on the way over to the man himself.

The official version of 'C5' was released a couple years ago after Wayne was FINALLY able to free himself from contractual duties with Birdman and co. ... which kept the project shelved for years.

Pamela Hutchinson -- one of the singers of the iconic family music group, The Emotions -- has died.

The official Facebook page for the R&B group -- comprised of three Hutchinson sisters -- made the announcement Sunday, saying Pam passed away Friday ... going on to explain she succumbed to health issues she'd been battling for years.

They add, "Now our beautiful sister will sing amongst the angels in heaven in perfect peace. During this time, the family kindly asks for fans and friends to respect our privacy. We appreciate all kind words, photos, and videos you may want to post for our beloved Pamela and of course your loving prayers."

Of Pam, the group also says ... "A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. We love you, Pamela!"

Pam was the youngest of the famous trio -- her older sister, Wanda and Sheila are a good 5 to 7 years older than her ... which might have to do with the fact that Pam actually replaced the other original sister, Jeanette. Despite their age differences, The Emotions left their mark in music history ... of course, with a major contribution of Pamela as one their key singers.

The group got its start in the '60s, but skyrocketed to mainstream fame in the 1970s with a string of hits that landed on the Billboard charts. They're perhaps best known for their single "Best of My Love," but they also have a legendary collab with Earth, Wind and Fire.

The girls served as the backup singers for "Boogie Wonderland" -- a gig that landed them a Grammy nomination in 1979 ... this after they'd already won one a couple years prior. Over the span of their multi-decade career, they cranked out 9 albums ... 2 of which achieved were certified gold, and one platinum. The Emotions pumped out countless singles too.

More bombshell evidence that aliens have touched down and our own government has teamed up with them to RULE US ALL ... that is, if you buy what this UFO hunter's selling.

This guy named Scott C. Waring -- a self-described expert in the field of ufology -- recently claimed that he spotted what he says is a roughly 52-foot tall structure on the premises of Area 51, out in Nevada -- which appears ... almost human-like, and possibly alien made???

That's what Waring here is kinda implying. He wrote in a blog post, "I found a 16 meter dark figure in Area 51 and there seems to be another to the right of it, but shorter," adding ... "When I checked through the past photos of that location, I notice that the figure actually moves onto its side, then changes its poses in each photo. It actually moves."

As for how he even stumbled across these images, Waring punched in Area 51's exact coordinates, 37°13'26.26"N 115°49'2.37”W, into Google Earth ... and yes, it's still there.

He theorizes this thing was manufactured by aliens, captured by American forces and is being explored to use for possible missions. So in other words, AT-AT Walkers (ish).

While this could merely be a shadow (or nothing at all), heck ... maybe it IS aliens. We've already seen some seemingly credible UFO sightings in this wild year of 2020.

Shortly before President Trump's North Carolina rally, a group of his supporters were rolling deep and screaming racist rhetoric in the streets, not too far from where he'd touch down.

A convoy of pickup trucks decorated with Trump 2020 stickers and American flags roared through downtown Elon, NC Saturday ... where some folks in their vehicles screamed out "white power!" to bystanders watching them go by. You hear it clearly, at least twice.

According to the Triad City Beat, which first posted the incident, a local professor was standing quietly on the corner -- which you can also see in the video -- holding a "Black Lives Matter" sign. That appears to be what triggered all the honking and hate speech.

TCB reports the convoy was organized by local neo-Confederate activist Gary Williamson.

Mind you, Trump held a rally in nearby Fayetteville, NC ... just a couple hours south of Elon.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants folks to turn their despair over Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death into rocket fuel for November ... and she's got a step-by-step plan on how to do it.

AOC posted a lengthy video of herself addressing her constituents, fans and anyone who's willing to listen -- but, more importantly, anyone who's worried about what the death of RBG might mean for this election. She makes it clear ... the stakes are higher than ever.

She explains how some people might think there's nothing they can really do, but quickly corrects them and points out that EVERYONE can make a difference in their own small way. She's not talking in platitudes or vagueries ... she lays out specifics.

First off, AOC literally begs people to make sure they're properly registered to vote ... even if they think they're already good. It doesn't hurt to check and to update one's info.

She then touches on organizing, or at the very least ... supporting those who do organize on the ground. Then comes what might be her biggest and most doable suggestion -- lobbying people you know, and helping spread awareness in your own circles.

We'll let AOC speaks for herself -- and frankly, it's worth watching her full, 41 minute-plus talk. Her overarching message ... everyone has someone only they can reach, and that in this crucial time, it's time to do that.

She also said this is an even bigger issue than voting for Biden ... it's about voting to preserve democracy.

Kanye West has a new vision for what record deals oughta look like in the music industry -- and his guidelines are heavily in favor of the artist and making them money.

Ye tweeted several pillars that we guess would be in his own terms and conditions as a record label exec -- except, this is what he believes the biz as a whole should adopt STAT ... so artists can stop getting screwed and have an equitable share in the product they put out.

For starters, Kanye says the artists would automatically own the copyright to the songs and recordings they churn out for a label in his ideal world, and that they'd lease them to companies for a maximum period of time of just one year.

He also says the record label/publisher would NOT get the lion's share of any profits during that one year ... Ye thinks it should be split 80/20 in the artist's favor.

There's more. Kanye also thinks artists shouldn't need anyone repping them as they navigate their own deals -- as he feels if you're working in music, you should understand it from top to bottom, with no help. He also wants contracts to be written in plain English, not lawyer talk. He says lawyers are supposed to make things easier ... not convolute the process.

He goes on to say that artists deserve equity in the companies they partner with, and their songs and licenses should serve as stock in a way. Kanye also wants portals for artists to become a one-stop shop for all things royalties, deals, assets, songs, etc.

The frontrunner to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the Supreme Court -- if Donald Trump gets his way -- has all the signs of voting to repeal Roe vs. Wade.

The 48-year-old jurist currently sits on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and is a committed strict constructionist of the Constitution, meaning she interprets the document as the framers intended. That's code these days for saying abortion is not mentioned as a right in the Constitution, therefore the right does not exist.

Barrett, a devout Roman Catholic and mother of 7, told Senators during her confirmation hearing for the Court of Appeals ... her religion would not, pardon the expression, trump the Constitution ... presumably trying to give assurance that she would not overturn Roe based on her religious beliefs. Nevertheless, there's evidence she's opposed to abortion.

She's been against ObamaCare's birth control mandate, calling it a "grave violation of religious freedom."

Barrett clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a fiercely conservative, strict constructionist. She was a professor at Notre Dame School of Law for 15 years before her appointment by Trump in 2017 to the 7th Circuit.

She was in the running to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat back in 2018 and many conservatives favored her. Trump ultimately went with Brett Kavanaugh.

If Barrett gets the nod and is approved by the Senate, conservatives were be cemented on the High Court with a 6-3 majority. It could mean the end of ObamaCare and Roe, and that's just for starters.

New York's Attorney General is indignant local authorities in the Daniel Prude and other cases have kept body cam video under wraps for months, and she's changing that in a big way.

Letitia James just announced her office will release body cam video in excessive force cases early ... way earlier than the months delay in the Prude case. She made it clear ... she's not going to wait for local authorities to act ... James wants the video released quickly so the public can evaluate what happened by the footage, and not hearsay or speculation.

She would not discuss the Prude case, saying it's before a Grand Jury and she will not get in the way of the hearing. She did say this should have been a case where health care professionals, not police, should have been the ones to intervene to help Prude.

The Grand Jury is deciding whether to indict the officers. She did express what she called "righteous indignation" over the deaths of Prude, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

As we reported ... seven officers were initially suspended after an investigation was launched. A couple weeks ago, James announced she was kicking the case over to a grand jury to review ... placing the decision on whether to bring charges on NY citizens.

The city of Rochester has been dealing with lots of changes lately -- namely, the top leadership at the police department was given walking papers ... this after the mayor slammed their handling of the case from the get-go. Mayor Lovely Warren even cut the Police Chief's time short and fired him before he could retire ... while admonishing some of her own staff.

Protests have been ongoing in the weeks since body cam footage of Prude's arrest and subsequent death surfaced ... showing him being handcuffed naked in the freezing streets and eventually restrained with a spit sack over his head, which led to him losing his life.

If you think the Presidential election has gotten ugly, check out the intensely angry exchange between 2 UFC fighters ... and Donald Trump makes it clear whose side he's on.

Colby Covington had just defeated Tyron Woodley Saturday night when he appeared on the post-show with his arch-enemy ... Champion Kamaru Usman, who defeated Covington last December for the title. Covington, who was enraged the fight was stopped, is demanding a rematch.

And, that's the backdrop for some trash talking ... the likes of which you haven't heard in a while. The 2 men are talking at the same time ... Covington threatening Usman -- "When I see you, you're dead" -- while Usman laughs it off, claiming he broke Covington's face when they fought.

Covington invokes Trump's name, saying, "I got the President of the United States, dragon energy." And, soon after that, Trump called Covington to congratulate him on beating Woodley. Trump says, "I just made a big speech to 35,000 people and said, 'Oh, I've got to get home now and watch Colby.'"