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Stonewall Jackson's going the way of other Confederate leaders -- his statue in Richmond, VA has been toppled, but not by angry protesters ... the city took matters into its own hands.

Richmond's Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the immediate removal Wednesday of the statue honoring the Civil War general for the Confederation. Crews on the city's famed Monument Avenue took down Stonewall following weeks of unrest that saw protesters destroy or vandalize other Confederate statues.

A peaceful crowd gathered to take pics of Stonewall's monument getting the ol' heave-ho.

The Mayor reportedly bypassed a special meeting with the City Council to vote on a resolution calling for the statue's removal -- and just pulled the plug himself. He said it needed to come down as a matter of public safety.

There was concern the statues were a hazard as nationwide protests continued. The statue had been targeted by protesters who'd already the torn down the Jefferson Davis statue.

Jackson -- who wanted VA to remain in the Union but remained loyal when it seceded in April 1861 -- earned his nickname at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. Legend has it he rushed troops forward to close a gap against a Union attack. A general is reported to have said, "Look, men, there is Jackson standing like a stone wall."

Well, his statue's no longer standing in his home state.

Move over, Jerry Jones ... there's a new king in the scoreboard world -- the Rams and Chargers just officially hung their video beast, AND IT'S 2.2 MILLION POUNDS!!!

The L.A. NFL squads made the joint announcement Wednesday ... saying their one-of-a-kind jumbotron is now fully functional at the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

And, according to the teams ... it's gaudy.

The board is the largest EVER in sports history (yes, even bigger than the one at Jerry World in Dallas) ... coming in at 120 yards long and featuring 70,000 square feet of LED technology.

The teams also say it's hooked up with 260 speakers ... and holds enough power to keep 1,500 home theater systems running!!!

Unclear if any fans will be able to watch it this season -- coronavirus cases are spiking like crazy in California and with the regular season's kickoff set for only 2 months from now, things ain't looking promising.

A British journalist reporting live from home got yanked back into the field of family life during her broadcast -- and it's freakin' adorable ... even if the anchor didn't think so.

Sky News' foreign affairs editor, Deborah Haynes, was live on the air Wednesday with presenter Mark Austin -- and they were talking shop about a new law across the pond that'll allow millions of people in Hong Kong to -- y'know what, let's just get to Deborah's cute kid.

Her young son -- who can't be more than 5 -- storms into the room she's doing her live shot from ... and saunters over to bring something of the utmost importance to her attention -- biscuits. Highest priority!!!

Deborah handled the situation as gracefully as she could, excusing herself from the chat for a moment to address her boy's pressing concerns ... namely, if he could have 3 biscuits.

She haggled and gave him the okay for 2 -- but by then, the camera had cut back to Mark in the studio and he was already moving on, seemingly irritated by the interruption. He kept it relatively chill too though, saying that's what happens when reporting amid a lockdown.

Of course, that phenomenon isn't specific to coronavirus or WFH, per se -- and the Brits oughta know that first-hand. This reminds us of another very famous/very funny kid-trusion a few years back that happened live on the BBC, before COVID-19 was running rampant.

American professor Robert Kelly was doing a live shot from home to dish on South Korean policy, when his own two young children sashayed into the room ... only to have his wife fly in after them and yank them out.

Jada Pinkett Smith says claims made by singer August Alsina that the two had an affair that was green-lit by her husband, Will Smith, are a total lie.

August recently sat down with The Breakfast Club's Angela Yee to talk about his new album, "The Product III: stateofEMERGEncy" ... but the interview quickly took a turn, with him claiming he had been in a relationship with Jada after being introduced to her by her son, Jaden, in 2015, and, according to him, it lasted quite some time.

AA was emotional as he explained how Jada is the only person he's ever loved, and how he devoted himself to her and poured himself into their relationship for many years. However, Jada's rep was quick to denounce his claim ... saying it was "absolutely not true!!!"

August also insists Will gave their relationship his blessing. Will and Jada have been very public over the years about their open relationship, but her team says the whole thing is made up.

The singer claims walking away from his relationship with Jada when she "butchered" him and basically "killed" him ... so it sounds for his part like he was pretty deeply in love with her.

August hinted at a sexual relationship with Jada last year, when he made some thinly-veiled references to her in his song, "Nunya."

A former member of the Philadelphia 76ers' dance team claims she was the victim of bullying and racism during her time on the squad ... and now, the Sixers have launched an investigation.

Yahne Coleman -- a fashion model who used to perform with the Sixers Dancers -- revealed the disturbing allegations in a lengthy social media post Tuesday.

In the statement, Coleman claimed she was "racially profiled, bullied and threatened" not only by her dance teammates ... but by members of the dance team's coaching staff as well.

Coleman also attached a video with her post ... which she says shows a former teammate making inappropriate and racist remarks toward her, and even threatening her.

In the footage, the woman can be heard saying, "I will teach you how to use a tampon because your dirty-ass vagina probably smells like fish."

The woman in the video can also be heard saying, "I will find you in whatever home project you live in. I will slum it to the west side of Philly just to find your ass, beat the sh*t out of it, and then get you backlisted from whatever club you think you can get in.”

Coleman -- who reportedly left the dance team in 2015 -- claims similar bullying incidents happened to her regularly ... and she says when she reported it to officials in the 76ers' organization, "nothing was done."

The Sixers released a statement shortly after Coleman's post went up, and they say they're vowing to do a thorough investigation into the claims.

"Tonight, we were made aware of social media posts involving former dance team members that contained insensitive, offensive and unacceptable remarks, as well as allegations of bullying and racist behavior,” the team said.

"The videos, which were filmed in 2016, featured derogatory comments from a former dance team member who left the organization in 2013."

'Rona-truthers have infiltrated the Lone Star State -- here's a Texas woman melting down at a 7-Eleven over their mask policy ... only here, she left behind a gross remnant to mark her territory.

The woman is trying to buy a rack of Miller Lite -- but the front counter clerk won't let her check out because she's not wearing a face covering. She starts throwing a tantrum, and it's all downhill from there.

The guy points out the obvious ... she doesn't have a mask. She agrees, flabbergasted that he won't sell her the beer because of it. He stands firm though, saying it's the convenience store's policy to have one on while shopping, and that pisses her off even more.

The woman says the amount of time he's wasting is probably spreading more germs than if he would just let her purchase the booze and be on her way -- and his response is ... buy a mask here. The lady absolutely refuses to do so, starting to proclaim ... well, 'MURICA!!!

In the latter half of the video, the woman continues to escalate the situation ... outright spitting on the counter before storming out. The 7-Eleven guy keeps his cool throughout.

No word on whether this got to the point of getting cops involved, or if things ended here. In any case, it's another example of would-be freedom fighters pushing back with all their might against a simple policy that even some of Trump's closest allies are starting to follow.

The Jay Cutler Chicken Serial Killer Mystery of 2020 is officially SOLVED ... with the ex-NFL QB catching a beastly raccoon in the act!!!

As we previously reported ... Cutler had been dealing with an unknown menace that was ripping the heads off his beloved birds ... and he devoted his retirement life to saving his chickens.

The week-long saga took many twists and turns -- including traps and overnight stakeouts -- with pretty much the entire nation on the edge of its seat to figure out who the hell was offing the chickens.

But, Jay can now FINALLY get some sleep ... 'cause he's officially discovered the culprit -- A DAMN TRASH PANDA!!!

"All is well and happy to report it was a raccoon," Cutler said on IG Wednesday morning. "Which fits the evidence. Chicken heads were ripped off and bodies were left in the chicken yard."

"Gruesome stuff but the reality of the situation. Ladies are now safe and sound. We can all sleep well for a few nights."

So, is this the end of an era and we can all go back to worrying about bigger issues?? Yes ... at least, for now.

"Unfortunately I’m sure this raccoon has some family members."

"While this saga is sadly ending, I’m sure there will be more. Stay tuned..."

Breonna Taylor's family is in the same corner as Beyonce's mom over photos of Kentucky's top prosecutor partying it up with his fiancee instead of drilling down in her case.

ICYMI ... photos surfaced over the weekend of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron hosting an engagement party with friends and loved ones -- something Bey's ma, Tina Lawson, jumped on and openly criticized on social media, along with several others.

She explained how Cameron's election to the AG office was initially seen as a boon for the black community -- but went on to say his inaction in the case proves otherwise, especially when it comes to Breonna's killing.

Tina writes, "I have no problem with who he marries, that is his personal business. That is not what this post is about! I just don’t understand his actions!!! And where are their masks?"

Sources close to the family tell us they couldn't agree more with Tina's sentiment ... they see these photos as a slap in the face.

We're told the family has its own team working round the clock for answers -- and while the AG said he too was doing the same, our sources say the family feels his actions prove otherwise. Even if the guy's got a team on it, we're told they see this as him not giving a damn.

And yes, as for Tina's claim that Cameron snubbed Breonna's mom ... we're told that's true. She tried meeting with him in early June, but he avoided her and had someone else from his office speak to her over the phone. We're told he hasn't provided any updates.

The latest news in Breonna's case ... one of the officers involved in her death, Brett Hankison, got canned from the Louisville PD. That's about it -- no criminal charges have been filed, and there's no telling if charges are forthcoming. The shooting occurred more than 3 months ago.

Now, Cameron has called for patience, as he's said he's vetting the case thoroughly -- but we're told Breonna's family has lost confidence in him bringing about justice.

Terrifying moment from a pro gamer -- who was struck by ACTUAL LIGHTNING while streaming on Twitch ... and the video is intense.

27-year-old Jaime Bickford -- AKA Karma -- was commenting on a game of "Rocket League" on Sunday night when somehow she was hit by lightning during a storm in her area.

According to Bickford's bio, she lives in the Boston area.

During the stream, you can hear the storm rumbling, followed by Jaime shrieking in pain.

You can hear Jaime drop her controller and she begins to cry in pain.

A short time later ... she got back on the stream and provided an update.

"Sorry guys, I am a little bit upset right now. Lightning, apparently we’re having really bad thunderstorms here."

"Apparently, my house got hit or something and it went through my controller and shocked my hand. I’m completely fine. I’m just kinda ... I got scared and also my hand burns hurt a little bit."

Bickford even posted a photo of the melted controller.

She posted an update the following morning -- saying, "Hands healed up after being iced all last night and were very minor burns, controller is melted near USB connection where I got flashbanged or w/e ."

She added, "And I am COMPLETELY FINE. Thanks for the outpouring of love."

Cops in Aurora, CO targeted Elijah McClain's violin vigil to make an example out of nonviolent musicians ... so says a famous violinist who saw it all play out.

Lee England Jr. -- who Michael Jordan calls "the Michael Jordan of the violin" -- tells TMZ ... Aurora police made a calculated decision to disrupt the vigil because they knew they had easy targets at a peaceful protest full of musicians and children.

Lee was one of the musicians who trekked to Aurora to pay respects to Elijah, who died last year while in custody of Aurora PD. Elijah was a big fan of the violin, which is why his Saturday night vigil was serenaded by violinists, who played on even after police showed up in riot gear and unleashed pepper spray.

Lee says the sad outcome of the violin vigil inspired him and other musicians to host a private performance for Elijah's entire family after police ended the protest.

"Certainly if we had a lot of cases, we are going to stop. You cannot run from this virus."

That's NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledging his plan to continue the season in Orlando could hit a huge speed bump if players and staff continue to test positive for COVID.

Of course, several NBA players have tested positive for coronavirus recently ... including DeAndre Jordan, Jabari Parker, 3 members of the NO Pelicans, several members of the Denver Nuggets organization and more.

And, with concern growing, Silver addressed the issues Tuesday during an appearance on 'TIME 100 Talks' ... saying he's still "pretty confident" the season will happen, but nothing is certain.

"We and our players together with their union, look at the data on a daily basis. If there were something to change that was outside of the scope of what we are playing for, certainly, we would revisit our plans."

"We are testing daily," Silver continued ... "We haven't put a precise number on it, but if we were to see a large number of cases and see spread in our community, that would, of course, be a cause to stop as well."

Silver says the league has a team of medical and science experts to help guide them through the pandemic plan.

Still, Silver believes the bubble environment at Walt Disney World in Orlando will still be relatively safe.

"I am absolutely convinced that it will be safer on this campus than off this campus because there aren't many situations that I am aware of where there is mass testing of asymptomatic employees," Silver said.

"In some ways, this is maybe a model for how other industries can ultimately open. But, I am only going to say we will be responsible and watch what is happening, but the biggest indicator will be if we begin to see a spread in our community."

The NBA season is set to tip-off on July 31 -- but some teams are planning to begin travel to Orlando as early as July 7.

Garrett Rolfe -- the fired Atlanta PD officer charged with felony murder for the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks -- might be released from jail Tuesday ... TMZ's live streaming his bond hearing.

Rolfe has been holed up at the Gwinnett County Jail in Georgia since his arrest, but will be appearing virtually at the Fulton County courthouse Tuesday to ask the judge to be let him out on bond. The hearing's scheduled for 11 AM PT.

According to legal docs ... Rolfe is asking to be granted a "reasonable bond" for a few reasons. First, he claims he's a "longstanding, law-abiding" citizen, and says he poses no threat to the public or potential witnesses.

Next, Rolfe claims there is "significant evidence that proves he was legally justified in using deadly force in this case." In the docs, Rolfe argues that Brooks committed multiple felonies "in resisting lawful arrest" -- including firing the TASER at him -- and Brooks' actions justified Rolfe's use of deadly force "if he reasonably believed that Mr. Brooks possessed a deadly weapon."

He claims the Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard "has declared that a TASER is a deadly weapon under Georgia law."

Finally, Rolfe argues he should be granted bond so he has an opportunity to help his lawyers prepare for the case, adding the D.A. "made several important factual misstatements to the public."

Rolfe's legal team is also expected to present character witnesses to testify that the former officer is a good man and will not present a flight risk. Some experts predict the judge will grant some sort of bond ... but at a steep price.

As we've reported ... Brooks was shot by Rolfe on the evening of June 12 during a chase in a Wendy's parking lot. Brooks had been speaking with Rolfe, along with officer Devin Brosnan, before Rolfe tried to arrest him and a struggle ensued.

Video of the incident shows Brooks had obtained one of the officers' Tasers and was attempting to flee following a failed breathalyzer test, and that's when Rolfe opened fire on him ... shooting him twice in the back.

Fulton County D.A. Howard announced 11 charges against Rolfe, including felony murder and multiple acts of aggravated assault.

While announcing the charges, Howard said Rolfe kicked Brooks while he lay dying, and added he doesn't believe Rolfe feared for his life ... noting that Rayshard had been cordial and cooperative for more than 41 minutes before he was fatally shot.

Brosnan's also been charged for his role in the incident -- with aggravated assault and failure to render timely aid ... something he and his lawyer have denied.

Tori Brixx can't seem to stay out of danger -- she was allegedly the victim of another home invasion robbery, but thankfully ... she wasn't injured this time.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Tori is one of several alleged victims of a home invasion earlier this week in L.A., where perps allegedly made off with more than $100k in property.

We're told there was a party at a rental house with 15-20 people, and sometime around midnight ... cops say 6 men wearing masks entered via a back door and held everyone up.

Our LE sources say the suspects were armed and demanded the partygoers' cash, jewelry and phones.

We're told police are now looking for videos from around the area, but so far, no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

Other sources say Tori and others were celebrating the bday of their friend, Darlene, and the home was a listing of a real estate agent attending the party. Tori posted video from inside the house just hours before the alleged incident.

We're told among the property stolen ... 5 purses.

You may recall ... it was 2 years ago when Tori was with Rich the Kid at her home when robbers broke in demanding cash and jewelry. Tori was pistol-whipped and suffered a deep cut on her cheek, along with bruising and swelling around her eye.

The man who punched Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert says it wasn't a cheap shot -- insisting he was protecting a friend who was in Dallas' grasp ... and he says he suffered serious injuries as a result.

TMZ Sports spoke with Kyle Hadala, who tells us he feels the viral video does NOT tell the full story of what transpired before that fateful punch was thrown on June 19 at Zoo Bar in South Dakota.

Hadala insists Goedert and his friends had been "harassing" them at a previous bar over the choice of music they were playing on the jukebox.

"They were extremely aggressive and disrespectful," Hadala says.

The group moved to a new spot -- the Zoo Bar -- but Hadala says Goedert and his crew followed them with bad intentions. Very soon, according to Hadala, the situation escalated.

"They picked out my smaller colleague from the group, got in his face, and made very threatening remarks toward his personal well-being," Hadala tells us.

"Then one of his crew told my other colleague, and I quote, 'You’re just a fat f**king pussy. I'll beat the s*** out of you.'"

Hadala says Dallas put his hand on his friend -- which you can see in the video ... and that's when Hadala decided to take action.

"At this point, I was in fear for both of my friends' well-being especially due to the fact there were 10 of them and we were not familiar with the area," Hadala says.

"I protected my friend and then was ambushed by 5 to 7 individuals that punched, kicked, threw beer bottles, etc., trying to cause me bodily harm which I received medical treatment at the hospital for my injuries the next day."

Hadala says he received multiple lacerations in the incident, which required several stitches and staples to close the wounds.

Hadala was eventually arrested and booked on a simple assault charge. He's already lawyered up and plans to fight the case.

Rhode Island-native Dicky Barrett gained fame for his raspy vocals and catchy lyrics as the frontman for the successful ska band, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones ... who shot to the top in 1997 after their single, "The Impression That I Get," landed at the top of the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks list and lead the way for the album, "Let's Face It."

Dicky Barrett has shared the stage from the beginning of the Bosstones with Tim Burton (AKA Johnny Vegas) on the horns, Joe Gittleman slapping the bass and Ben Carr as the dancer and backup vocals.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones continue to play together and released the album, "While We're At It," back in 2018.

Brian Austin Green is a single man on the loose, and it seems his first legit post-Megan Fox rebound hails from down under ... to which we say, ya done good, BAG.

We got the "Beverly Hills, 90210" star on a lunch date Tuesday on Melrose with Australian model Tina Louise -- who ya probably recognize from Maxim and a ton of other magazine covers over the years. No PDA on display here, but it definitely looked like a classic L.A. lunch date.

We should say ... a would-be lunch date, 'cause the Sugar Taco they were trying to nosh in wasn't quite open when they rolled up. Instead, they did a lap around the block together. Eventually, they did eat and left together ... our camera guy got them on the way out.

We tried asking Brian if this was his new squeeze, but he wasn't in the mood to talk about his love life all that much. What he did dish on ... how other bachelors should navigate the pandemic dating scene these days. Spoiler alert -- his advice is hanging off his own neck in the clip.

Now, here's the scoop with these 2 ... we're told they are hanging out and seem to be pretty into each other. Our sources say they linked up on social media a couple weeks ago and bonded over their love for animals -- hence Sugar Taco, a well-known vegan joint ... which Tina happens to co-own.

Wonder who picked up the tab?