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The insurrection is dividing heavy metal band Iced Earth ... the lead singer and bassist quit after the group's founder was arrested for allegedly raiding the Capitol.

Stu Block and Luke Appleton announced Monday they're no longer rocking with Iced Earth, citing Jon Schaffer's role in the deadly riot as the catalyst.

Stu, the lead singer, says the insurrection caused him to re-evaluate his life, work and future ... and Luke, the bassist, says he had no choice but to resign after what went down in D.C.

As we reported ... Iced Earth's founder turned himself in to the feds last month, and the FBI claims Schaffer sprayed Capitol police with "bear spray."

Schaffer's facing 6 charges in connection with the insurrection ... including violent entry, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and engaging in an act of physical violence in a Capitol building, among others.

With Stu and Luke out of the band, Iced Earth is down to just 2 members ... drummer Brent Smedley and Schaffer. Meanwhile, Iced Earth guitarist Jake Dreyer is distancing himself from the band.

Dr. Fauci has a million new reasons to smile, 'cause the guy just came up on a boatload of cash for sticking to the facts and the science during the pandemic.

The director of the NIAID was just awarded a million-dollar cash prize from the Dan David Foundation -- an Israeli nonprofit that funds and advocates for breakthroughs in science and technology. He's one of three recipients to get a cool mil ... all for "defending science."

There are past, present and future categories for the winners, and DF got etched in as the man of the present in the field of public health ... due to his work speaking on behalf of vaccines -- plus, everything else he's done on the pandemic front, in 2020 and beyond.

The Dan David Foundation said Fauci's storied legacy in HIV and AIDS research was also considered in granting him the award.

It's interesting ... although the org didn't mention Trump by name, they certainly alluded to him in their remarks -- saying, in part, they were giving this to Tony for "courageously defending science in the face of uninformed opposition during the challenging COVID crisis."

You'll recall ... Fauci recently said it was "liberating" to be able to speak truthfully and freely about how best to fight the virus, without a de facto muzzle on him from the very top.

Now that Tessica Brown's hair is finally 100 percent Gorilla Glue-free, she can get back to basics ... and enjoy a normal 'do again.

Sources close to Tessica tell TMZ ... she visited a barbershop on Valentine's Day morning to get her hair trimmed and styled after the procedure last week to remove the glue from her scalp.

We're told she visited the Below Zero shop in Violet, Louisiana to see a barber she knows ... and he gave her the cut for free after everything's she's been through.

As we've chronicled ... Tessica's received an outpouring of support ever since she revealed on TikTok that she'd made the terrible choice a month ago to substitute her normal got2b glued hairspray with Gorilla Glue Adhesive Spray.

Though the advice she received to rid her hair of the hardened glue didn't work, Bev Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng came through for Tessica big time by performing a $12,500 procedure for free to get her out of the sticky situation.

Tessica also received more than $20k in donations for her plight, which as we first told you ... she plans on donating the majority of to the Restore Foundation -- which provides reconstructive surgery services for people around the world.

Our sources say Tessica's received hundreds of hair products for free as well -- including more got2b glued -- so she never reaches for Gorilla Glue again ... not that she would.

North West's oil painting -- which some call Bob Ross-esque -- actually caught the eyes of the folks keeping his legacy alive, and they wanna work with the young artiste.

Sarah Strohl from Bob Ross Inc. tells TMZ ... they were thrilled to discover North's painting -- despite all the online haters it drew -- and they're looking to nurture her talent by inviting her to visit the Bob Ross Experience in Muncie, Indiana.

Sarah says everyone at the late and iconic American painter's company is thrilled about Bob's apparent influence on a new generation ... represented by North.

If North accepts the invitation, we're told she'll get to check out Bob's paintings, up close and in-person. She'll also get a class in Bob's wet-on-wet technique with a certified Ross instructor -- that is, if she hasn't mastered it already.

The venue itself is pretty legendary ... it's the refurbished studio where Bob filmed his beloved series "The Joy of Painting" from 1983 to 1994.

The visit would be pretty cool for any young artist, but especially for North ... after all the bitter reaction to Kim Kardashian posting North's work of art.

As we reported ... Kim was pissed when haters came after North and questioned the authenticity of a piece she said North painted herself.

Apparently, things got bloody on Valentine's Day for Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox ... and they loved it.

The actress and rapper's love day celebration was more odd/unique than yours, as MGK rocked an orb with a drop of Megan's blood inside it. He proudly displayed the first blood Valentine piece on a necklace.

Megan seemed pretty excited about it ... saying, "There goes my heart manifest outside of my body draped in the towering silhouette of a most unusually handsome boy." Pretty damn poetic!

She added, "The journey will likely be perilous but there is no destination without him."

MGK's bloody pendant ain't all that unique -- both Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie famously wore vials of each other's blood while they were married in the early 2000s.

Didn't exactly work out for that duo, but Megan and MGK are going for it, anyway.

Claudia Conway's audition for the 'American Idol' judges finally aired ... showcasing the teen's talent as well as her politically famous folks.

Conway was one of several singers highlighted during the show's premiere Sunday. Katy Perry was quick to ask the 16-year-old "Are you okay?" as soon as she could. Claudia responded with a "No, but yes, I'm so good." She then sang a version of Rihanna's "Love On The Brain" which missed the mark with judges before singing Adele's "When We Were Young."

Eventually, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie each gave Claudia a "yes" ... moving her on to the next round.

Claudia was accompanied by her dad, George Conway, to the audition but her famous mom, Kellyanne, made a digital appearance thanks to the 'Idol' video board. Kellyanne celebrated Claudia's golden ticket and let her daughter know she was proud of her.

Kellyanne's relationship with her daughter has been the focus of a lot of attention lately. TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to the family's New Jersey home last month after Claudia posted a string of videos on TikTok of verbal spats with her mom.

Kodak Black visited Marjory Stoneman Douglas High on the third anniversary of the deadly mass shooting there ... and he came bearing gifts of education.

The rapper was in Parkland, FL Sunday for a memorial to honor the 17 victims claimed during the 2018 shooting rampage -- with upwards of 100 guests in attendance, including the Mayor and other town officials. Kodak was there for Meadow Pollack -- one of the students killed.

Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells us KB was Meadow's favorite recording artist -- something he caught wind of and wanted to commemorate her with a scholarship in her name.

We're told Kodak established a $100k scholarship fund in Meadow's memory at the Nova Southeastern University Law School, for students wanting to study justice reform. That's where her brother, Hunter, is attending. Of course, Hunter was also at the ceremony, front and center.

Check out the video of Kodak discussing his intentions, and the warm reception he receives afterward ... not to mention a hug from Hunter. They later walked up to a table together to light a candle for the Parkland victims -- it's pretty moving to see up-close.

Rapper Cyhi the Prynce claims someone tried to gun him down on the highway in Atlanta ... and he's lucky to be alive after flipping his vehicle and crashing into a tree.

The Atlanta PD tells TMZ ... it responded to a car accident on February 11 at 11:41 PM and found an empty Bentley SUV flipped on its side off the road. Cops say while they were on the scene, the driver -- Cyhi -- walked back to his vehicle.

The police say Cyhi told them a red Maserati started chasing him on the highway, followed him as he got on an exit ramp and began shooting at his SUV. That's when he says he lost control and crashed into a tree.

Cyhi told cops he immediately got out of his vehicle and fled on foot into the woods to get away from the shooter.

He believes this was an attempt on his life, but on IG he said he doesn't know if it was "a mistaken identity, a robbery, or associated with something that I did when I was younger but I haven’t been in the streets in over a decade."

The rapper says after he crashed the suspects returned and shot up his vehicle some more, adding that it's "By the grace of god and my lord and savior jesus christ I am still here."

Cyhi says he wants whoever tried to kill him to know he doesn't want revenge ... he just wants "understanding and closure."

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!!!