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Kyle Rittenhouse appeared in court as his lawyers continue fighting efforts to extradite him to Wisconsin to stand trial as an adult.

The 17-year-old arrested in the killing of 2 people during the protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI was briefly back in court Friday morning, where his lawyers are fighting to keep him in his home state of Illinois ... as opposed to sending him back to Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse's legal team stated this case is a "very unique, extraordinary situation," and argued there are issues with the extradition paperwork by prosecutors that suggest "this is a political prosecution."

The defense lawyers have also argued extradition would violate Rittenhouse's constitutional rights and "turn him over to the mob" ... and claim his life would be in danger if he's jailed with adults in Wisconsin.

Prosecutors accused the defense of intentionally delaying the case, but the judge did grant Rittenhouse's attorneys more time before a decision is made on extradition. There will be another hearing later this month.

The Antioch, IL teenager is accused of killing 2 people and wounding a third on August 25. He's been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide. If convicted, he's looking at a mandatory life sentence.

As we reported ... Rittenhouse traveled roughly 21 miles from Antioch to Kenosha -- armed with a semi-automatic rifle -- to join armed vigilantes taking on rioters. Video showed him running on the street with his gun while witnesses told cops he shot someone.

After falling to the ground and appearing to be accosted by others, cops say he opened fire ... killing two people and injuring another.

Demi Lovato's ex-fiance looks and sounds pretty broken up over their split ... he says he still hasn't spoken to her, and he's tired of people bullying him online.

We got Max Ehrich at LAX Thursday and he told our photog he's not bothered by her new song about their split, but what's really grinding his gears are the social media trolls coming after him.

As we reported ... Demi was frustrated with her ex going ham about their split -- Max somehow compared Demi and their breakup with Jeffrey Epstein -- and she leaked her new breakup song, "Still Have Me."

Max says the people in his mentions need to back off and stop bullying him, because they don't know what happened between him and Demi.

It's interesting ... while Max claims he learned about their breakup while reading the tabloids on set, he's telling the trolls not to believe everything they read.

Despite getting the silent treatment from Demi, the "Young and the Restless" actor tells us he wants the best for Demi and he hopes people can give them privacy.

It's clear Max is having a rough time with the breakup, and he says he's gonna need some time for himself before he's ready to jump back into the dating world.

Whitey Ford -- widely regarded as the greatest Yankees starting pitcher of all time -- has died at 91, the team confirms.

We're told Ford passed away Thursday at his home in NY.

The Yankees issued a statement saying the team is "incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford."

"Whitey spent his entire 16-year career as a Yankee. A 6x WS Champion and 10x All-Star, The Chairman of the Board was one of the best lefties to ever toe the rubber. He will be deeply missed."

Ford made his MLB debut back in 1950 -- but took time away from the game to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1951 to 1952.

He returned to the Yankees in 1953 and played until 1967 -- racking up a 236-106 career record with an E.R.A. of 2.75 and 1,956 strikeouts. Unreal.

Ford -- who was born and raised in New York City -- was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, along with his teammate Mickey Mantle.

The Yankees retired Ford's #16 jersey that same year.

Ford is survived by his wife Joan (they married back in 1951) and their two children Eddie and Sally Ann. They had a 3rd child, Tommy, who passed away in 1999.

Just last week, fellow MLB pitching legend Bob Gibson passed away at the age of 84. Gibson is also a Hall of Famer and considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

Move over, Yogi ... this bear's way smarter than average, 'cause it not only opened a pickup truck door ... but it got behind the wheel and locked the door!!!

This all went down in South Lake Tahoe where a father and daughter happened to be driving by when they spotted Bear-io Andretti casually hopping into the driver's side of a pickup truck in someone's driveway.

Check out the vid ... they're initially surprised to see the bear strolling, but their minds are blown when the bear walks up to the truck, opens the door, gets in and locks himself inside and apparently starts leaning on the horn.

They captioned the video, "When my dad and I drove up on a bear acting like a grown ass man." As for how they got that "man" out of the truck? Well, they knocked on the homeowner's door and alerted him to the bear-y unique situation.

Watch the vid to see how he handled it. We'll just say, no bears were harmed in this video, but the dad's heart rate definitely spiked.

Bears, man. They're taking over 2020.

President Trump says he feels "so good" and doesn't think he's got much of the coronavirus left in his system, so -- despite the absence of a negative test -- he's planning a rally Saturday night.

The Prez joined his buddy, Sean Hannity, Thursday night to discuss his condition and his aspirations ... to hold a rally in Florida ... barely a week after he tested positive for COVID-19, and then another in Pennsylvania Sunday.

Trump continues to suggest he's recovered from the virus thanks to all the great care he's received from his doctors, while seemingly ignoring health experts precautions and quarantining recommendations following COVID diagnosis. He's been in the Oval Office this week, despite most doctors saying a COVID-positive patient should be in self-isolation for at least 10 days, and given Trump's age and struggle with the virus ... as many as 20 days.

Trump didn't sound like he was cured when he was on Hannity's show Thursday night ... he was coughing during the interview. And, BTW, the high-dose of powerful steroids he received has all but certainly masked underlying symptoms.

And, there's this ... Trump's own doctors have been sketchy when it comes to revealing his condition -- they won't even say when he last tested negative -- so Trump has decided to be evaluated on TV Friday night by a Fox News contributor -- Dr. Marc Siegel -- who will conduct his own medical evaluation.

Bizarre.

George Floyd's being honored and remembered in his hometown ... with a new mural set to be unveiled just in time for his birthday.

The mural is being painted in the Houston neighborhood where George grew up, and it's going to be unveiled Monday during a special ceremony featuring his family and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner is also invited.

Local artist Ange painted the mural. He tells us George's family asked him to create one back in August, after previously presenting the family with some Floyd artwork at his funeral.

The mural is prominently displayed on a wall outside a neighborhood corner store George frequented. The business is a staple of the community, so lots of folks will see George's face on the building.

George would have turned 47 Wednesday, and we're told celebrating his upcoming birthday is part of the inspiration behind the mural ... plus a message to the community to "be the change" and go out and vote.

George's brothers, Rodney and Philonise, recently checked on the mural's progress and Philonise says they want the art to send this message ... "People in my family all feel that George can't vote, so everybody needs to get out for George, for Breonna, for Ahmaud."

The family adds ... "He said he wanted to change the world, so here's how we do it. By being the change."

"Seinfeld" star Wayne Knight's still got it -- he's unleashing a trademark Newman rant to point the postal finger at the Trump administration for slowing mail service ahead of the election.

Newman threw on his old U.S. Post Office wardrobe for a PSA video dedicated to Friday's World Post Day ... the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union, which started in 1874 in Switzerland.

Check out the video ... Newman wastes no time, hilariously digging into President Trump, his Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and what looks like a giant turkey leg.

It's classic Newman laughs, but he does take serious shots at POTUS, accusing him of attempting to kneecap the post office by slashing employee hours and removing mailboxes.

From the second Wayne opens with, "Hello zip codes. And, you plus-fours, you know who you are" ... ya just know it's gonna be funny.

He might have saved his best shot for DeJoy, saying ... "That guys' never even licked a stamp."

The PSA, spearheaded by an anti-Trump super PAC, comes on the heels of "Cheers" star John Ratzenberger also suiting up in his old post office uni to rally behind the U.S. Post Office.

Not all heroes wear capes.

'Big Brother' alum Paulie Calafiore's looking to go from the reality TV couch to the gold medal stand ... as a member of the U.S. Men's Bobsled Team.

Paulie -- best known as a houseguest on "Big Brother 18" -- got a call from Team USA coaches back in May after his good friend, Lolo Jones, recommended him for the popular winter sport ... according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

We're told on Paulie's first call with the coaches, they asked what he knew about bobsledding and he replied ... "I watched 'Cool Runnings' as a kid."

Maybe not the best start, but Lolo also had an unconventional path to the sport coming over as an Olympic hurdler ... so our sources say Paulie's motivated to make it happen.

We're told COVID-19 provided a training challenge for Paulie from the jump, but he whipped together a team consisting of a nutritionist, strength coach and 3 other specialists to prepare the past 5 months.

His everyday training regimen includes 2-3 hours of virtual mobility and flexibility sessions, 2-3 hours of strength training and sprinting sessions, and a strict 5,000 calorie a day diet. He's been training in both Montana where he lives, and South Carolina.

As for Paulie's progress ... our sources say he took a virtual combine to mark his time and weights in September and had incredible stats. He's currently quarantining for 2 weeks at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, and after that, he'll hit the bobsled push track for the next phase of training.

If all goes well, Paulie may be on his way to the next Winter Games ... scheduled for February 2022 in Beijing.

As we reported ... Paulie was one of several 'Big Brother' stars who quarantined this summer in anticipation for "Big Brother: All-Stars," but he didn't make the final cast list.

Call this a new kind of love-love for tennis star Genie Bouchard ... TMZ Sports has confirmed she's now dating Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph!!!

A source close to the couple tells us the two began a romantic fling recently ... and have gotten pretty serious.

In fact, 26-year-old Genie was just spotted at a fancy restaurant in Pittsburgh this week ... posting a pic of her at the place with the caption, "Pitt stop."

25-year-old Mason -- who was presumably on the other end of the camera -- dropped a "like" on the photo.

Of course, the new relationship means the end of a possible old one for Rudolph ... as we previously reported, the quarterback had been seen in L.A. in April getting cozy with "Bachelor" star Hannah Ann Sluss.

Unclear how serious the two were ... but Rudolph's clearly moved on either way.

As for Genie, she's been no stranger to famous dates in the past ... remember Super Bowl bet guy?!

But, seems she's finally found her special someone ... which is awesome for her, considering just a few months ago she tweeted that going through quarantine "would be a lot more fun with a boyfriend."

Congrats!!

Before this team player was an actor cast in a maddening sketch comedy show, he was just another sporty star shooting hoops on the basketball squad in Chicago, Illinois.

This brunette baller is known for his portfolio of celebrity impressions that he showed off over his 5-season run on a hilarious sketch show -- where he shared the screen with comedians Bobby Lee and Jordan Peele.

He has been featured on numerous TV sitcoms but landed a reoccurring role on a comedic doctor series named after an actress who rose to fame for her character on 'The Office.'

Tory Lanez has been charged in connection with the shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion ... just weeks after the singer released an album claiming his innocence.

The L.A. County D.A.'s Office hit him with one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. The D.A. also alleges Tory inflicted great bodily injury.

If convicted, the rapper/singer faces up to 22 years and 8 months in prison.

As we reported ... the prosecutors had said they were mulling over a charge of felony assault with a firearm against Tory after Megan said she was shot back in July. Remember, Tory had been arrested but only charged with possession of a firearm. Prosecutors are now explicitly pointing the finger at Tory as the man who pulled the trigger ... leaving Meg with a gruesome foot injury.

It took Meg some time before she went public and accused Tory by name as the person who shot her. She didn't mince words saying ... "Yes, this n***a Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people to these blogs lying and s**t, stop lying!"

As we reported, sources connected to Tory say there were mitigating circumstances -- and based on what we know ... we believe Tory's going to say it was an accidental shooting. Megan didn't help the D.A.'s effort with a social media caption -- which has since been deleted -- that said she had her back to the SUV when she was shot in the heel. That might indicate she didn't see it with her own eyes when Tory allegedly pulled the trigger.

You'll recall ... video of the incident showed cops pulling over the SUV in the Hollywood Hills -- with Tory lying face-down on the pavement and Megan gingerly tip-toeing ... leaving bloody footprints with each painful step.

WNBA legend Cappie Pondexter has been arrested in Los Angeles and is NOT missing ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The LAPD tells us the 37-year-old was taken into custody Tuesday and booked on a misdemeanor battery charge.

We're told Pondexter refused to ID herself to cops so she was booked as "Jane Doe" ... and was held in jail until she was released earlier Thursday.

Now, multiple law enforcement officials tell us the woman has been identified as Pondexter.

Details of the alleged incident are unclear ... we're working on it.

Pondexter -- a 2-time WNBA champ -- was thought to have been missing ... after those close to her said she hadn't been heard from since Monday.

In fact, the WNBPA released a statement Thursday saying, "We are sharing this out of concern for our fellow WNBPA sister, Cappie Pondexter."

"If you have any information, please contact authorities. Please help us spread the word and ensure that she is safe."

Cappie is a hoops legend ... and played for the Phoenix Mercury, New York Liberty, Chicago Sky, L.A. Sparks, Indiana Fever and several international teams.

Katy Perry just got a little peace of mind -- a judge granted a permanent restraining order against the man she claims has been stalking her and directing threats at her family.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... 38-year-old William Terry must stay 100 yards away from Katy, her fiance Orlando Bloom, their newborn baby girl, and Orlando's son Flynn from his previous marriage to Miranda Kerr for the next 3 years.

Terry's also prohibited from trying to contact Katy, her family or her staff on social media or posting anything about her ... and has to stay away from her concerts or live performances.

We broke the story ... Katy sought protection from Terry after he allegedly jumped the fence at her Beverly Hills property in September and was busted by cops for trespassing.

Katy claimed Terry tried to do this in August as well, after posting alarming messages on social media for months leading up to it. She feared he'd try it again if she did not get court-ordered protection.

Terry's troubling online behavior allegedly included numerous graphic and sexually explicit posts about Katy, comments about killing dogs and cops, threats to "snap Orlando Bloom's neck" and wishing Flynn and Miranda would "catch covid and die."

Jackie Robinson's daughter says she's straight-up "insulted" her father's image was used in a campaign ad on Donald Trump's official YouTube page ... and she's now demanding the president remove it immediately.

POTUS' team posted a pro-Trump campaign video Tuesday featuring some iconic pictures of legendary Americans ... including Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson.

The ad -- titled "Say What You Will About America" -- urged citizens to vote for Trump ... and as of Thursday afternoon, it had over 5 MILLION views.

But, Sharon Robinson says she's LIVID the president would even consider using her dad's image in the video ... explaining there's no way in hell the baseball legend would have supported a re-election for Trump.

"Jackie Robinson’s family strongly objects to the use of Jackie Robinson’s image in a Donald Trump [ad]," she said Thursday.

"The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in. We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed!"

Meanwhile, MLK's daughter, Bernice King, also found Trump's use of her father's image in the ad "beyond insulting" ... and she demanded the president remove the photo as well.

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend's words -- captured by body cameras moments after the deadly raid -- will loom large in a potential federal case against the cops who killed her ... according to Lee Merritt.

The famed civil rights attorney joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss 2 crucial takeaways from the newly released body cam vids ... and both focus on Kenneth Walker's statements to Louisville cops on the scene.

In the video, Kenneth repeatedly tells cops he and Breonna didn't know it was police busting into her apartment. When an officer asks which of them fired at cops, Kenneth says, "It was her. She was scared." It's about one minute into this clip.

Lee says that might seem to create some uncertainty about who fired the shot that hit Louisville PD officer Jonathan Mattingly -- Breonna or Kenneth -- but he adds the video also shows Kenneth very emotional and under intense duress.

Since the night of the raid, Lee says Kenneth has insisted he's the one who fired his legally-owned 9mm handgun. He provided some insight into why Walker said otherwise as he was being arrested on the scene.

The other thing the videos reveal is the immediate confusion as to whether police announced they were law enforcement. As you know, a dozen neighbors said they did not. Merritt says the obvious emotion in Kenneth's voice as he repeatedly told police, "We didn't know who it was" adds credibility to his side of the story.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer just made a stunning revelation ... 13 members of 2 militia groups have been arrested for hatching a plot to kidnap and possibly kill her.

The Governor, who has been sharply critical of Donald Trump, said the FBI investigated and made the arrests.

She blames Trump for setting a violent tone that encourages right-wing groups to resort to violence.

Trump has gone after Governor Whitmer, sometimes not even referring to her by name but rather as "that woman." The 2 got into it over Trump's response to the coronavirus.

As you know ... Trump urged his supporters to "liberate" Michigan and a gaggle of his supporters showed up with guns at the State Capitol to make their point.