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Michael Jordan is donating $10 MILLION to open 2 new health clinics near his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina ... specifically to help people in need.

The NBA legend is working with Novant Health -- a non-profit health care group with hospitals and medical centers throughout NC.

Novant says MJ's donation will bring "comprehensive primary care, including behavioral health and social support services, to the area’s most vulnerable communities."

The 2 clinics funded by Jordan's donation are scheduled to open in early 2022 -- and both centers will offer "much-needed services to those who are uninsured or underinsured."

Jordan -- who previously donated $7 mil to open 2 centers in 2017 -- says he's extremely proud to "bring better access to critical medical services in my hometown."

"Everyone should have access to quality health care, no matter where they live, or whether or not they have insurance. Wilmington holds a special place in my heart and it’s truly gratifying to be able to give back to the community that supported me throughout my life."

Novant says the 2 clinics MJ opened in 2017 have already seen more than 4,500 patients, in addition to providing critical COVID-19 response.

The locations have also administered close to 1,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots -- "with plans to scale up vaccination efforts even further as supply increases."

Rod Ponton, the Texas attorney who appeared as a cat in a Zoom court hearing, wants to turn his viral moment into cold, hard cash ... right meow!!!

Rod tells TMZ ... he was initially embarrassed by his 15 seconds of fame, but now he's embracing the fact he's an overnight internet sensation and he wants to milk it by hawking shirts, mugs, and anything else folks will buy.

The guy's in high demand ... Ron says he's already getting tons of requests for speaking engagements about staying professional in the midst of Zoom snafus. He's certainly an expert in this arena.

As for his cat call seen 'round the world ... Ron says he was using his assistant's 10-year-old's computer and still doesn't know how or why the feline filter was activated when he joined the virtual courtroom.

Emmitt Smith's rushing record ain't safe at all ... 'cause Adrian Peterson tells TMZ Sports he's still gunning to play until he's 40 -- and run for 1,500 yards when he gets there!!!

Peterson is just 3,535 rushing yards away from catching Smith's all-time mark of 18,355 ... and the NFL legend says if all goes according to plan, he should blow right by the former Cowboys superstar.

"I want to live to be a 40-year-old back out there rushing for 1,500 yards and amazing people still," Peterson tells us.

Of course, A.P. will turn 36 years old next month ... and, as a free agent this offseason, he doesn't have a team for 2021 yet.

But, if there's anybody who can defy the odds ... it's Peterson -- remember when the dude blew out his ACL in 2011 and returned to be the NFL's MVP a few months later in 2012?!

Peterson, though, says breaking the all-time rushing yards mark isn't his #1 goal ... he tells us he wants to win a Super Bowl ring more.

New Mexico native Bryce Robinson was only 10 years old when he took on the role of the adorable elementary school student Edison -- who navigates the new world of love and Valentine's Day -- in the star-studded 2010 romantic comedy "Valentine's Day."

The holiday classic was jam-packed with A-list stars including Jennifer Garner as the school teacher, Julia, Ashton Kutcher as the laidback flower shop looker, Reed Bennett ... and of course Julia Roberts as Edison' Army mom, Captain Kate Hazeltine.

Bryce also had roles in "Marley and Me" and "The Switch."

A Papa John's employee says he got canned after refusing to make pizza with no running water in the building so he could be sanitary ... and now, it sounds like he's lawyering up.

A TikTok user who goes by @mommarhodey posted a video she says her brother sent her from a Papa John's location in Colorado Springs, where he films his working conditions in below freezing temps ... which he shows left their pipes frozen, and no water to use at all.

The guy says he decided he didn't wanna keep baking pies in that type of environment, as he felt it was gross ... Y'know, because he wasn't able to wash his hands. So, he left his shift early -- but before doing so he wanted to set the record straight on what he was dealing with.

The employee shows a water heater in the corner of the room, and a tiny portable heater next to it that he says his manager set up in hopes of getting the thing working again ... and water running in their restaurant. He also tries turning on faucets all around him, to no avail.

His sister's the one sounding the alarm about this on his behalf -- she posted some follow-up videos explaining what happened next ... and would you believe it, she claims her bro was fired over it. As you can imagine, she's super pissed ... calling it a "wrongful termination."

She says she called the local public health department there, who apparently told her the Papa John's in question was shut down until they could get running water back. However, that doesn't jibe with what sis here says she's heard from the Papa John's staff.

She claims they've been continuing to work, despite the stop-order from officials. MommaRhodey says she's alerted the BBB, and Papa John's corporate office.

We reached out to the Papa John's location in question ... they had no comment. No word from their corporate office either at this point.

A woman was arrested near the White House after reportedly telling cops she had a special delivery for President Biden -- a handwritten letter ... but much more ominous is that she had a loaded gun in her car.

The unidentified 66-year-old rolled toward a checkpoint in downtown D.C. Saturday evening ... close to the White House, which has a wide perimeter set for blocks on end. She was apparently with a man, and told cops they were there to meet Biden.

As for why ... cops say she told them she wanted to give him a letter. That prompted a search of the vehicle, where D.C. Metro says they discovered a loaded handgun. They claim the man she was with also had a BB gun -- but the woman was the only one arrested.

She was booked for possession of an unregistered firearm. The case has since been referred to the Secret Service.

The situation is eerily familiar ... there was another arrest like this back in January, when a Virginia man also drove up to a checkpoint, allegedly with fake inauguration credentials and a loaded firearm as well ... plus a ton of ammo, according to cops.

Just a day later, a woman was arrested under similar circumstances ... coming up to a checkpoint and trying to pass herself as a member of Biden's cabinet. She got busted too.

President Biden got out of town this weekend, opting for a happy virtual drive on Rainbow Road instead of a motorcade drive through D.C.

Joe was at Camp David this weekend -- where some of his family members met him to hang out for some QT with grandpa, including his granddaughter, Naomi ... who says she went head-to-head with 46 in a round of Mario Kart -- with both of them in the driver's seat.

Apparently, there are arcade games at Camp David -- and Mario Kart's one of them. Sounds like Naomi's granddad got the best of her. She says, "Secret Service made an exception and let him drive himself!!!!" Naomi adds, "A little rusty but he still won (barely)."

She also posted a boomerang video of herself rolling around in a human-size inflatable ball in what appears to be a gymnasium.

Camp David's got stuff like this for POTUS getaways -- there are stories and photos of presidents past shooting pool, bowling and watching movies in a full theater there on the grounds. So, it's not surprising that they've got neat attractions like this these days.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have another bun in the oven ... they're expecting baby #2.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the announcement Sunday, saying they are due to have a second child together ... although they didn't reveal how far along Meghan is, or the sex of the baby.

The couple says, "We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child." It looks like they already posed for some maternity shots too -- photo and personal friend Misan Harriman snapped some photos of Meghan and Harry in a lush forest, showing off her baby bump.

Harriman apparently did the photoshoot remotely, adding this ... "Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow. Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on this joyous news!"

The news comes not too long after Meghan revealed in November she'd suffered a miscarriage this past July, detailing the heartache and agony she and Harry went through ... and in private, no less. Her pregnancy wasn't known until she discussed it in the NYT.

Archie, who was born in 2019, will be turning 2 in May. Not a bad age difference as an older sibling.

Congrats!!!

Nicki Minaj's father, Robert Maraj, has died after being struck in a hit-and-run accident ... TMZ has learned.

Nassau County Police in New York say he was walking on the road between Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue Friday evening around 6 PM ET, when he was hit by a vehicle heading northbound. Cops say the driver then fled the scene without a meaningful description from witnesses.

Robert was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries and passed over the weekend. The Homicide Squad is investigating the case and asking for the public's help in identifying the responsible party. There was not a decent description of the suspect vehicle provided.

Nicki hasn't spoken on her dad's death yet. There are shots of them together embracing over the years, so they obviously had a decent relationship and saw each other from time to time. It's unclear what Nicki's relationship with her dad was currently.

A rep for Nicki confirmed her dad's death, but did not have further comment at this time.

Robert was just 64.

Tammy Slaton, one of the stars of "1,000-lb. Sisters" has come out as pansexual.

Producers released a clip of an upcoming show, in which Tammy opens up to Jerry, her boyfriend of 2 years, saying, "It means love is love," adding, "I would date anybody, whether they're transgender, straight, gay."

Tammy's sister, Amy, and her husband, Michael, are seated at the restaurant along with Tammy and Jerry.

Tammy explained in another interview how she came to her realization ... "I always thought I was bisexual, and then I started talking to one of my friends and she told me she was pansexual, and I asked her kind of what it meant."

She goes on ... "It means you love everybody, not just the same sex. And I was like, 'Well, I guess I am too," because I wouldn't mind being with someone who's transgender, or whatever."

The LAPD is conducting an internal affairs investigation to determine which officers shared a photo of George Floyd with the caption, "You Take My Breath Away."

The cops in question appear to work out of LAPD's Harbor Division, where the image was being passed around at work. The Department believes the original post may have been the work of an LAPD employee.

It appears a member of the LAPD saw that the post was being shared and was so offended they contacted the brass, which then triggered the investigation.

Internal Affairs is now trying to get to the bottom of it, looking to see where it was posted and who shared it. It seems that shouldn't be too difficult if the post was being shared among some of the rank and file.

Tekashi 6ix9ine and Meek Mill came an inch from trading punches early Sunday morning ... as their long-standing beef reached a boiling point.

The 2 men were at KOMODO in Miami and as Meek was getting in his car to leave, Tekashi appeared and they both started jawboning. In the video, you hear both rappers and their security yelling at each other. It looks like Tekashi is trying to lunge at Meek.

Tekashi is hurling insults at Meek, accusing him of working with cops ... yes, the irony is not lost on us.

They went from face-to-face to social media where it continued, 6ix9ne posting, “STOP LETTING THESE RAPPERS LIE TO YOU! THEY TO TOUGH FOR SECURITY @meekmill RUNNING AROUND WITH POLICE.”

Meek's response ... "69 waited out side the club for me they tryna get usssssss wtf ... We did not run into eachother I was getting in my car he just popped out ....we almost was smoking on that 69 pack for the love of a viral moment ..... he tryna get something locked up no cap lol"

And then, Meek lowered the boom ... “The feds sent him to take me out wtf. [I] had to spit on him so he retreated lol he really waited outside the club for me. I thought I was dreaming wtf we almost smoked him lol he posed a lil threat popping up in the parking lot waiting for me.”

Meek and Tekashi have squared off ever since Tekashi cooperated with the FBI in getting members of the Nine Trey Bloods locked up.

Yella Beezy was arrested Saturday on weapons charges, but the rapper says this was a set-up ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Yella Beezy was driving in Dallas when cops pulled him over after they claim he was running stop signs. They searched his car -- unclear why -- and allegedly found an unlicensed weapon.

Video surfaced online where you see a police car with flashing lights and a cop checking inside the black SUV's trunk.

Yella Beezy's manager Adrian Low Brown tells TMZ... the rapper told him he was driving his armored-plated, bullet-proof truck in his old neighborhood to get Valentine's Day flowers for his GF when police stopped him and said he blew a stop sign.

He says they told him they smelled weed, which he says was an excuse to search his car.  Beezy says he doesn't smoke and cops didn't find any marijuana and didn't charge him for possession.

As for the gun they found ... Beezy's team says his entire arsenal is registered.

The manager says he's currently trying to bail Beezy out. The manager says this is a case of harassment by cops.

Janet Jackson got more than an apology from Justin Timberlake ... she got a revival.

Janet's 1986 album, "Control," has skyrocketed on the charts since Justin issued his mea culpa Friday over her 2004 Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction. As you know, she was skewered by critics, while Justin remained silent and unscathed.

Well, "Control" hit #1 on the Apple Top 40 U.S. Pop Album Chart a week ago -- before Justin's apology.  It was the 35th anniversary of the album.  But after the apology it's going really strong ... now the 8th most downloaded album on Apple iTunes.

Janet took to social media and said, “I was at home just the other day by myself, and I began to cry. I was crying because I was so thankful for all that God has blessed me with, all that he has given me, and I’m so thankful for him being in my life.”

She went on ... “I’m so thankful for all of you being in my life. You’re so special to me, and I want to thank all of you for making ‘Control’ number one once again. After 35 years, never in a million years would I think that this would happen. I really appreciate you, and I love you so, so much. Thank you.”

Justin's apology was driven by a radio interview that surfaced in the new Britney Spears documentary, where he bragged about taking her virginity. He apologized to Britney, but also to Janet for the Super Bowl incident.

Gwyneth Paltrow's all about the V ... so she's pitching the perfect gift of self-love for Valentine's Day.

Gwyneth's company, Goop, is unveiling its first vibrator, which it's rolling out on Valentine's Day. At first, we thought the timing was a little weird, but we're guessing it's for people who might not have a Valentine but still want to celebrate. Good thinking, we think.

It's priced reasonably in the Goop world -- $95 for a Double-Sided Wand Vibrator.

In case you're in the market, here's the Goop description ...  "Our Double-Sided Wand Vibrator is the ultimate intimate massager: One end has a wonder-ball wand with deep, rumbly vibrations for external stimulation. On the other side, the slim, flexible end provides powerful and precise vibration for clitoral or internal stimulation. Each end of the wand offers eight pulsating patterns that vary in intensity, with subtle, ergonomically placed controls for uninterrupted navigation. And it’s a thing of beauty on a nightstand. Basically, it’s a pleasure all around."

Britney Spears does NOT have her own documentary in the works ... we're told fan speculation and media reports to the contrary are not accurate.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... a doc from Britney and her team is definitely NOT happening. We're told a project of this magnitude would need to be vetted and authorized by Brit and her conservators, which is a big hurdle.

Another source tells TMZ ... a female filmmaker has been reaching out to people in Britney's inner circle, telling them she's working on a doc about Britney's life, and the filmmaker claims she's going to pitch the project to Netflix.

There are reports and speculation circulating that Britney is quietly working on a doc with a top female filmmaker and Britney fears her father, Jamie Spears, could hijack the project to make himself look better ... but we're told neither Britney nor her team are involved in the production.

There's no shaking Jamie at this point either ... as we first told you, a judge denied Britney's request to have her father removed as her co-conservator during Thursday's court hearing.

Britney and her conservatorship are all the rage again these days ... the new doc 'Framing Britney Spears' is getting a lot of buzz, and it's resulted in Britney's boyfriend ripping Jamie, and Justin Timberlake offering her an apology for the things he said after their breakup.