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A Miami-Dade County police officer is on video violently striking a woman in the face at the airport as she approached him during an argument ... he's claiming self-defense, but the brass ain't buyin' it.

According to the police report ... the cop, along with another officer, responded to a call of a disorderly customer at an American Airlines gate Tuesday at the Miami International Airport.

That customer -- the woman seen in the video -- was allegedly late to board her flight to Chicago so she was refused boarding and told to go to the rebooking counter. Cops say she became upset when she was told she'd have to wait until the next day and began threatening the AA employee, who called police.

The report says the 2 cops arrived to escort her away from American but advised her she could book a flight with a different airline, at which point she allegedly yelled more threats toward the AA employee ... this is roughly where the body cam video begins.

In the short clip ... you see the woman in a verbal argument with the officer, which quickly escalates as she walks toward him and asks, "What you gonna do?"

The cop steps back and without warning delivers a blow to her face, and she's quickly taken to the ground. As she's being arrested, you hear the officer say ... "She headbutted me!"

According to the police report ... the woman "aggressively approached" the cop and violated his personal space, then allegedly bumped him with her body and struck him "with her head on the chin." The cop claims he then hit her with an open-hand slap to the face. This is clearly NOT the way officials see it.

Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, Alfredo Ramirez III, has responded to the incident, saying ... "I am shocked and angered by a body cam video that I just saw involving one of our officers. I’ve immediately initiated an investigation and ordered that the involved officer be relieved of duty."

He adds ... "Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in our community and causes my heart to break for our community and for the vast majority of our officers who dedicate their lives to serving our County. This will not stand and I assure our community that any officer acting in this vain will be held to account."

Public Enemy still wants people to "Fight the Power" ... but now Chuck D says it's time to let younger people handle that fight, because time's literally running out for most political leaders.

We talked to the legendary MC on 'TMZ Live' to get his thoughts on the upcoming election and current social unrest ... which he points out has millions of youth on the front lines expressing their anger. Chuck says whether it's PE's heyday of the '90s -- or now, that's never changed.

In light of that, he says our politics need to reflect that from the top down ... especially at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Now, he's not suggesting we elect a 25-year-old President -- not that the Constitution would allow it -- but he's making a point about much older men calling the shots on our futures.

He pokes fun at this year's candidates ... saying when they talk "future," he wonders how much longer they actually have left.

That brings us to PE's new track, "State of the Union (STFU)." It's a not-so-subtle shot at President Trump ... with a kick-ass, classic Public Enemy beat.

The NBA's reboot just got really real ... both LeBron James and Anthony Davis made their returns to Lakers practice Wednesday -- and they look GOOOOOOOOODDDDD!!!

The team announced their superstars' comebacks in a sick highlight video Wednesday night ... showing shirtless Bron getting after it in the weight room and getting buckets on the hardwood.

Davis' jumper looked wet as well ... and the Lakers captioned it all with a subtle, "And we back."

The vid is FINALLY a breath of fresh air for the NBA ... lately, it's been nothing but pessimism toward the restart as COVID-19 cases rise and players continue to question if there should even be a season.

Of course, the Lakers haven't been immune to it all ... Dwight Howard is still pondering whether or not to play -- while the team had to sign J.R. Smith to replace Avery Bradley, who opted out of the restart last week.

But, LeBron's maintained throughout this offseason that the league SHOULD play ... and as Clippers star Pat Beverley tweeted last month, "If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping."

The Lake Show is the prohibitive favorite heading into Orlando's bubble -- King James' squad had the best record in the West before teams suspended operations back in March.

And, after seeing the new clips ... you really ready to bet against LeBron in the return?!

Here's a fun fact Mike Myers will love ... male sharks have 2 PENISES ... count 'em, TWO!!!

Yes, it's a true scientific fact male sharks are blessed with two members ... and the reasons behind the double dongs are gonna be explored by Discovery Channel when "Shark Week" returns next month.

To get us ready for "Shark Week" and the two-penis episode, Discovery's coming in hot with this hilarious ad ... and ya gotta check it out, because it's straight outta Mike's playbook.

If you've ever seen "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," the shark penis jokes should ring a bell ... and they're still funny, even 21 years later.

Quick science lesson ... male sharks have 2 penises, which are really just 2 grooved organs used to deposit sperm in the genital ducts of a sexually receptive female shark.

The organs are developed alongside the inner part of the shark's pelvic fin, and because there are 2 pelvic fins, there are 2 penises. Oh, and they only use one at a time.

Shark Week runs from Sunday, August 9-16 with more than 20 hours of shark programming through the week. The event will take viewers to oceans around the world to learn about the awesome creatures.

And, if the penis teaser is any hint, Discovery's right ... there's still A LOT you don't know.

Formula 1 racing billionaire Bernie Ecclestone is a dad again -- 65 years after he fathered his first child.

Yep, the 89-year-old's wife, Fabiana Flosi, has given birth, the couple announced.

"We have a son named Ace. I am so proud," Bernie told the Swiss-German news outlet, Blick.

44-year-old Fabiana reportedly announced the baby was born Wednesday afternoon at a hospital in Switzerland ... and insists the birthing process was a breeze.

"It was all so easy. The birth was over after 25 minutes. Thank god!"

Ecclestone -- who was born in 1930 -- has 3 older children from 2 previous wives.

65-year-old Deborah from his first wife, Ivy Bamford -- followed by 35-year-old Tamara and 31-year-old Petra, both from his 2nd wife, Slavica Radic.

Ecclestone -- who turns 90 in October -- recently made headlines for his take on race relations ... telling CNN, "In lots of cases, Black people are more racist than what White people are."

Offset's got a few requests in his ongoing paternity case with one of his baby mamas ... and chief among them -- he wants their 4-year-old daughter to have his last name.

The Migos rapper filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, in his case out of Fulton County, Georgia requesting that his daughter, Kalea, take Offset's last name. Offset's gov't name is Kiari Cephus. In docs, Offset says he's the biological father to Kalea, who was born in 2015.

The rapper's baby mama, Nicole Marie Algarin, named the girl Kalea Marie Algarin, but Offset's requesting the name be changed to Kalea Marie Algarin Cephus. There's more ... Offset is asking for joint legal and physical custody of their daughter.

As we first reported ... Nicole, who goes by the stage name Shya L'amour, filed docs last October asking for more child support from the rapper. Offset claims he is already paying support and says both parties should be financially responsible for their daughter.

Dustin Poirier is clearly rooting for Justin Gaethje to beat Khabib when they battle in Sept. -- telling TMZ Sports it simply gives him a better road to a title shot.

Dustin -- who's still recovering from that WAR with Dan Hooker over the weekend -- is now the #2 ranked UFC lightweight, right behind Khabib and Justin.

Poirier has fought both of 'em already -- he beat Justin in 2018  but lost to Khabib in 2019.

Now, with Justin and Khabib squaring off at UFC 253 on Sept. 19, Dustin's in a pretty solid spot to fight the winner.

Dustin knows there are no guarantees in the UFC ... but he's convinced a Gaethje victory would put him in a much better position for a title shot.

"It’s more of a guaranteed lock for me to fight for the belt is Justin wins," Dustin says.

"I'm the last guy to beat him. I'm the only guy still in the organization who beat him. So it would make a lot of sense. And, I know he wants that fight as well."

So, how can Justin stop the seemingly indestructible Dagestani champion?

Dustin's got some ideas ...

"If Justin can keep his back off the fence, I believe he can out-scramble Khabib in the open."

"He just has such a pedigree in collegiate wrestling and that open mat area is going to be where Justin shines in the wrestling."

"If Khabib can get him against the fence, I believe Justin will be in trouble but we’ll see if he can stick to the game plan."

"I would assume that's gonna be his game plan -- to stay in the middle, make Khabib wrestle in the open and throw big punches."

And, if Khabib wins, Dustin says he's already been thinking about how he can correct the mistakes he made in the first fight and get the "W" in the rematch ... if Dana White gives him the shot.

There's more ... Dustin also told us about his plans to auction off his fight gear from the Hooker fight to help the less fortunate.

Good stuff.

Before this cutie covered in curlers was a member of one of television's favorite funny families, she was just another sweetie ready for the salon growing up in Manhattan, New York.

This chocolate loving child got her start back in 1997 when she played the role of Howard Stern's daughter in the film 'Private Parts' and later continued her acting career on television. The funny female is the recurring daughter on a show that just ended it's 11th and final season this year ... and previously won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series 5 years in a row.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have only one person to blame for the National Enquirer story about their romance, and it's her brother ... and the publication's laying out its paper trail.

Lauren's bro, Michael Sanchez, is suing the National Enquirer for libel ... because he denies he was the rat behind the story exposing their affair. But, the NE says not so fast, Ratatouille.

In new docs, the media outlet says Michael first contacted one of its reporters on Sept. 10, 2018, and then had subsequent conversations leading up to a face-to-face meeting on Oct. 5, 2018, where Michael revealed some text messages and pics ... but did NOT say it involved Bezos or his sister.

On Oct. 17, the reporter asked her bosses about financial parameters for a deal, and requested at least $300k. AMI, the Enquirer's parent company, says it was around this time they first found out Michael's information was about Bezos.

Then, according to docs, on Oct. 18 ... AMI and Sanchez signed a deal for $200k. The AMI honchos at the time -- Dylan Howard and James Robertson -- believe that is the most they'd paid a source for a story.

However, it wasn't until an NYC meeting on Oct. 23 -- between Michael, Howard and Robertson ... that AMI learned their canary was singing about his own sister. According to the docs, it was during this meeting Michael mentioned having a below-the-belt pic of Bezos ... sent to him by Lauren.

Worth noting, AMI says Michael told them in November ... Lauren and Jeff were not "in cooperation with him." He added, "Neither one have a clue."

Cut to January 2019 ... the Enquirer finally publishes the story, and Bezos goes nuts trying to find out their source. You'll recall, the Amazon honcho hired investigators and publicly theorized the Saudis might have hacked his phone and sold the info to AMI.

Also, according to the docs, Michael went on the record claiming the Enquirer called HIM first, simply trying to confirm the affair.

That's why AMI says it had to issue a press release defending itself and fingering Michael as its Tekashi6ix9ine, if you will. In the motion, AMI points out it would never have paid him $200k just to confirm information.

AMI is now asking the judge to toss Michael's lawsuit because they say they didn't lie about him being the source.

Kehlani rented a Ferrari and then smashed up the expensive sports car before returning it ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The singer is being sued by a luxury rental car company that claims she rented a Ferrari back in April, and said it was for personal use only -- but the company claims she used it in her new music video instead and ended up damaging the whip in a costly collision.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Kehlani rented the Ferrari on April 19 and on April 22 she crashed it into an animal or another object, causing nearly $25,000 worth of damage.

The docs claim the black Ferrari featured in Kehlani's music video for her track, "Open (Passionate)," is the one that was damaged.

According to the suit, the company says it lost over $1,000 a day while the Ferrari was being repaired. All told, it claims Kehlani caused them to lose more than $35k in potential rental fees.

Adding insult to auto-injury, the value of the exotic ride was reduced by $88,573.

The car rental company is going after Kehlani for damages ... and they want her driver's license suspended.

We reached out to Kehlani ... so far, radio silence.

Major League Soccer says its players are NOT getting the Fyre Festival treatment inside the Disney bubble -- claiming the players who posted sad sandwich pics are NOT inside the restricted area.

Toronto FC defender Omar Gonzalez posted a pic Tuesday showing an "MLS Is Back" In-Room dining menu which describes some delicious-looking, expensive food options ($65 for lunch!) ... cut next to an unimpressive sando in a brown box.

He tweeted out, "Yummm" ... leading people to believe the widely-touted Disney bubble was looking more like a sham than a glamorous experience.

Omar's teammate Eriq Zavaleta added fuel to the fire by posting another unappetizing sandwich pic. Not a great look.

But, our MLS sources tell us ... those two players are not yet in Orlando -- they're still in Toronto.

The league is unsure who shot the photos -- but reps say the food was served at a quarantine site OUTSIDE the official bubble where players are required to stay for 10 to 12 hours until they are cleared to enter.

There is basic food service at the quarantine site -- like sandwiches, etc -- but since it's essentially a layover spot, the food service isn't as robust.

Once players are allowed into the Walt Disney World bubble environment, it's a completely different story.

We're told players will get "banquet meal" service served in their club meal rooms -- and so far, the feedback on the food has been super positive.

Also, all players will have access to 4 restaurants in the bubble -- including Shula’s Steak House, Todd English Bluezoo, Il Mulino, and Kimonos sushi restaurant.

We're also told, "Players do not pay for meals."

So, yeah ... the travel meal might not be the fanciest food in the world, but MLS insists they're not pulling a Billy McFarland.

Mississippi is doing away with the Confederate battle flag that's embedded into their own state flag -- and watching it come down at the Capitol was quite an historic sight.

State troopers pulled the flag down Wednesday in front of the Capitol building in Jackson, proceeding to then fold it up and carry it off into the sunset ... almost like it was a fallen soldier or something. It's not a soldier, it's a giant piece of cloth -- but this was a big deal for a lot of folks down there in the South.

Mississippi's ensign was the last modern American flag that still featured the antiquated confederacy logo ... something that drew renewed ire of late, in the wake a sweeping social justice conversation happening nationally, which is boldly calling out blatant racism.

Welp, local lawmakers listened to their constituents and got the ball rolling this weekend ... first, the House passed a resolution to ditch their pride and glory, which was followed by backing in the Senate, and on Tuesday -- the governor, Tate Reeves, signed it into law.

It's a major move that was 126 years in the making. Mind you, the Civil War was over 150 years ago ... and the South lost. That means the Confederacy and their emblems are NOT part of our official heritage -- or at the very least, not something to proudly flaunt in 2020.

Tons of people have called for the flag to be retired over the decades -- including country star Faith Hill, who recently decried the old flag and demanded an immediate change.

Put that dusty old thing in a museum somewhere and call it a day. Time to get something fresh on the pole to hoist high. The question ... what'll they choose for a design next?

Corey LaJoie's #32 car is getting a new paint job for NASCAR's big race Sunday ... his team says it's decking out the ride in a "Trump 2020" theme for the Brickyard 400.

Go Fas Racing revealed the new paint scheme Wednesday ... saying it's partnered with the pro-Trump Patriots of America PAC to create the red, white and blue whip for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race.

"I am honored to be part of the President's re-election campaign through the Patriots of America PAC," team owner Archie St. Hilaire said in a statement.

"As a Trump 2020 supporter, this team will do everything possible to secure victory on and off the track electing President Donald Trump to a second term."

The Ford Mustang will feature "Trump 2020" on both the hood and the rear-quarter panels ... while also displaying "Your Vote Counts" emblems.

The race is set to go down on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT in Indiana.

"With an estimated 75 million NASCAR fans out there, I was surprised that about 15 million of those fans are not registered voters," 28-year-old LaJoie said after the ride's paint scheme was announced.

"I will give my best effort to get NASCAR fans registered to vote, through our team efforts on and off the track. When they see the car, hopefully, it makes them race to the polls in November."

LaJoie has 5 top 20 finishes in the Cup Series this season ... notably finishing 8th in February's Daytona 500.

FYI, Bubba Wallace -- who's been racing in a "Black Lives Matter" car recently -- finished in 3rd at the 2019 Brickyard 400. He'll be back in Indy to compete this weekend as well.

The NJ woman who's been dubbed "Permit Karen" now has protesters marching because she called cops on her black neighbors claiming she'd been assaulted ... something several other neighbors dispute.

The block war started Monday in Montclair, NJ, where the couple -- who shot this video -- say they told Permit Karen to leave their property when she had a meltdown over their right to install a stone patio in their backyard. That's how the woman, whose real name is Susan, earned the handle.

The couple says PK barged onto their property 3 times in 30 minutes, peppering them with questions about permits for the home improvement project ... and when she didn't get her way, they claim she called the cops with false allegations of an assault against her.

After the couple posted the video, a group of local youths organized a protest ... marching up and down the block and chanting outside Susan's home.

Other neighbors on the block, many of whom are white, are also giving Susan hell ... claiming she was trying "to put her black neighbors back in their place" by calling the police.

The couple claims Susan's been harassing them for 2 years, but called this week's incident an example of "white entitlement and black hate embodied."

We reached out to police in Montclair ... no word back, so far.

L.A. City Councilman Herb Wesson says it's time to have the right people responding to situations where force is not needed -- and his plan could be a model for the future of policing in America.

Wesson came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss a new city-wide measure he and his fellow council members voted on and passed this week, which aims to pull cops off on non-violent calls for service, and instead ... send specially-trained, and unarmed, community members.

The Council's intent is clear ... reduce the possibility of police using excessive force, and have social workers and mental health pros on the scene to deescalate and help citizens in need.

For example, the incident that went down in Tampa this past weekend -- where officers responded to a call for a mother in mental distress. Cops ended up ripping away her children in a heartbreaking scene.

Wesson wants to put a stop to unnecessary roughness like that, by deploying specialists who can calm situations and talk down subjects.

The measure will require defunding the police -- or more accurately, reallocating the city's budget. The City Councilman thinks the change would free up LAPD to better police violent cases. Win-win.

D.L. Hughley's got a good idea where he picked up the coronavirus, and even without experiencing any symptoms ... he's pretty sure he passed it on to his radio show staff too.

The comedian tells us he's recovered from COVID-19 and is in the last days of self-quarantine, and while the virus probably contributed to his on-stage collapse last month at a Nashville comedy club ... he says he's remained asymptomatic -- before and after diagnosis.

Unfortunately, as health experts have warned, it seems that's also the reason D.L. spread the virus to his team ... making him a "regular Typhoid Mary," as he put it.

Hughley says he was in Dallas for a few days -- where COVID precautions were a bit more lax -- but returned to do his radio show on Tuesday, June 16. A few days later ... he had the scary incident at Zanies Comedy Club, and subsequently tested positive for coronavirus.

He tells us everyone he came in contact with on that Tuesday has since tested positive, as well -- except for his daughter -- but it sounds like, so far, everyone's gonna be okay.