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The L.A. County Sheriff got a search warrant to seize the black box in the vehicle Tiger Woods crashed ... because a judge believed there was probable cause to believe a crime may have been committed, and law enforcement sources say the possible offense is misdemeanor reckless driving.

Multiple law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the search warrant prepared by the Sheriff's Dept. outlined details of the crash that left Tiger badly injured. Some of the items go to the heart of the warrant -- establishing probable cause -- the fact there were no skid marks, the objects struck by the SUV before it came to rest, the fact it was a single-vehicle crash, Tiger's horrendous injuries as well as damage to the vehicle and apparent excessive speed.

Our sources say the words "reckless driving" are not mentioned in the warrant. In fact, our sources say no specific crime is listed in the warrant. Nevertheless, a judge is prohibited from signing a search warrant unless there's probable cause of a crime. That's the essence of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution.

Our law enforcement sources say one of 2 things occurred ... either a member of the Sheriff's Dept. went into the judge's chambers to discuss the warrant -- something that is frequently done -- and mentioned reckless driving, or the judge simply looked at the documents and determined there was probable cause of possible reckless driving. Nevertheless, our law enforcement sources say examining the black box for possible reckless driving was the object of the search warrant.

As if the past year hasn't been brutal enough, famed 16th century seer Nostradamus predicted 2021 will be the year of the zombie apocalypse ... but the CDC's got ya covered.

It sounds crazy, but just in case, the CDC has updated its website's "Zombie Preparedness" section -- which it launched in 2011 -- to advise people on how to prepare for disasters or emergencies ... ya know, like fighting off the undead.

While the CDC makes it clear it's not expecting a real-life "World War Z" or "Walking Dead" situation to arise, it says its tongue-in-cheek zombie campaign "has proven to be a very effective platform."

It adds ... "We continue to reach and engage a wide variety of audiences on all hazards preparedness via 'zombie preparedness'."

So, what kind of tips does it have for getting ready for disasters, zombie, or otherwise? The overall theme is "Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Prepared." ... which boils down to having an emergency stash at home of food, water and first aid supplies to last at least 3 days. It also suggests backup power sources, medical records on hand and extra prescription meds.

Sounds like your basic earthquake or tornado emergency plan, right? But, then the CDC adds ... "Although you’re a goner if a zombie bites you, you can use these supplies to treat basic cuts and lacerations that you might get during a tornado or hurricane." So, yeah ... they're leaning into this.

An elderly man who was confronted about dragging his dog down the highway with his truck didn't appreciate it much ... so he went after his accuser with a broom.

The incident was shared on TikTok last month, but the story's full of twists and turns since then ... and thankfully the poor pup is okay. According to the accuser ... the old man, Malcolm Taylor, dragged his dog down the highway at 50 mph, but he denies even going down the highway.

When he's told he almost killed the dog, the old man acknowledges it ... but suggests it was an accident. He says the dog was in the back of his pickup and he didn't know it jumped off. The dog's collar does look like it was nearly yanked off its head.

The old guy gets a bit heated as he's being scolded, and when the accuser says he's going to report him ... the old man pulls a broom out of his truck and chases him away.

Here's where it gets really weird -- the accuser, Brett Young, is now claiming he's the one in a legal mess over this. He says the old man is pretty high up in the community -- with connections to the mayor of Hackleburg, AL -- and got him fired and evicted for reporting his alleged animal abuse.

However, the mayor, Darryl Colburn, tells us he only knows Malcolm Taylor through acquaintances ... and to say he has any pull in the city is incorrect. Colburn also tells us he's spoken to Young and asked him to retract his claims about being evicted/fired because of Taylor's ties to the mayor ... telling us that scenario is totally false.

Anyone comparing the talent of Beyonce to the talent of Chloe Bailey is an "Idiot. Period." ... at least according to Mathew Knowles.

The Queen B's father is incredulous over comparisons of his daughter to the up-and-coming singer -- who's one-half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle with her sister -- so much that it appears to hurt him to talk about it.

Mathew says considering Chloe to play Beyonce in a biopic is understandable, but for somebody to be "idiot enough" to liken her talent-wise??? Bey's daddy's not down with that.

He calls the comparisons downright insulting to Beyonce -- he thinks Barbra Streisand is more her level -- and finally tells the interviewer he wants to move on to the next topic.

The gloves are off for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who are now flat out accusing Buckingham Palace of spreading lies about them, and insisting they can't be silenced.

In a new clip from their upcoming interview, Oprah asks Meghan if she's worried about the palace hearing "your truth" ... and Meghan responds by directly calling out Buckingham -- aka The Firm.

She said, "I don't know how they could expect that after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us."

If it sounds like Harry and Meghan are ready to go to war, it's because they are. Several Royals insiders say it's no coincidence stories came out this week accusing Meghan of bullying her staff when they lived in Kensington Palace.

The insinuation is Queen Elizabeth's team is behind those leaks, and it's a direct response to what Buckingham believes Harry and Meghan are about to say when the Oprah interview airs Sunday on CBS.

Meghan makes it clear ... she and her husband really don't have much to lose by speaking out now, because they've already quit their roles as Senior members of the Royal family.

Tekashi 6ix9ine does NOT believe what he did in court to save his own skin was snitching ... and he laid out his argument Thursday on "TMZ Live."

As you know, Tekashi became the star witness in his 2018 RICO case by testifying against his fellow gang member buddies ... which resulted in their conviction.

Tekashi argues it all boils down to loyalty -- or a lack thereof. He makes a decent point about beefing with just about everyone from coast-to-coast and ultimately being targeted by his own crew in what amounted to a scary stick-up job.

You'll recall ... Tekashi was kidnapped by his own security team in the summer of 2018 -- part of which was captured on dashcam video and surveillance footage. He was taken for a ride around the block, where he was threatened at gunpoint, and ordered to fork over cash and jewels he had at his NYC pad ... an exchange ultimately carried out by his then-GF.

In light of that, 6ix9ine explains he doesn't owe anything to those guys ... and even suggests what he did was wise. The Nine Trey Bloods almost certainly feel differently.

Of course, we also had to ask how he's holding up these days, and whether he fears for his life now that he's labeled a traitor with a violent gang. Fact is ... Tekashi was looking over his shoulder when the subject was raised ... but it ain't for the reason you'd think.

The original cast members from the 'Real World' are going back to their roots ... for a reunion show in the famous New York City loft where they first met.

The "seven strangers" are getting the band back together for the first time in almost 30 years for a new docuseries now streaming exclusively on Paramount+ ... "The Real World Homecoming: New York."

Yes, it's been that long since Eric Nies, Julie Gentry, Heather B. Gardner, Kevin Powell, Norman Korpi, Andre Comeau and Becky Blasband were under the same roof ... and ya gotta check out the gallery to see how they're looking these days!!!

Talk about a blast from the past ... the gang first moved into the loft way back in 1992, laying the foundation for 'The Real World' franchise. Don't worry, the digs have been spruced up a bit since, and the loft looks super cool. Oh, and we will finally get an answer to the big question -- what's up with Eric?

The new 'Homecoming' episodes stream Thursdays ... all ya gotta do is sign up for Paramount+ and try it for free.

Prince Philip was way sicker than the Palace led everyone to believe ... because they just revealed he underwent heart surgery.

Queen Elizabeth's 99-year-old husband is recovering from what the Palace describes as a "successful" heart operation for a pre-existing heart condition. They went on to say he'll continue to be hospitalized "for a number of days."

The whole thing is a little Trumpian. In case you forgot, when Trump contracted COVID and went to the hospital, his doctor said he was doing fine, when in reality his condition was so dire he was almost placed on a ventilator.

Well, in Philip's case, the Palace said on 2/17, “The Duke’s admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s doctor, after feeling unwell." “The Duke is expected to remain in hospital for a few days of observation and rest.”

On 2/19 -- "It is understood he had felt unwell for several days before royal doctors ordered him to hospital as a “precautionary measure."

On 2/22 Prince William said his grandpa was "OK."

The Palace never mentioned a heart issue until 3/1.

It's not unusual to downplay the severity of an illness when it comes to government officials, but the timing here is problematic. The Palace is in a brewing war with Meghan and Harry, and people are going to be taking sides after the Oprah interview this Sunday. If people feel the Palace was misleading on the Philip front, it could create doubt they're fessing up on the Meghan and Harry front.

The 'Jersey Shore' stars are back in a bubble to shoot the rest of their family vacation, but this time the gang is a lot closer to home.

"Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" has begun shooting the second half of season 4 ... and it appears Pauly D, Vinny, Ronnie, JWOWW, Deena, Angelina, The Situation and their family members are locked down inside Pennsylvania's Woodloch Resort.

Situation's wife, Lauren, dropped the first clue on their new home away from home this week by posting shots of a picturesque lake.

Pauly D's girlfriend, Nikki Hall, also posted a photo in front of a fireplace -- and we took their hints and lined them up to other pics from inside Woodloch resort.

TMZ broke the story ... the 'Jersey Shore' cast shot the first half of season 4 in a "Shore Bubble" at a fancy resort in Nevada, with production adhering to local, state and federal COVID-19 health and safety requirements to get the job done.

Our sources tell us production is taking the same approach for the second half of season 4, except in a new location. While Pennsylvania still isn't Jersey, it's a lot closer -- plus wherever this crew goes kinda becomes the Shore.

Kimora Lee Simmons is pissed about getting pulled over and ticketed in Bev Hills -- but thanks to a slightly impatient fan, she still managed to bat .500 on the day.

We got Kimora Wednesday afternoon as a BHPD officer was writing her up. She told us the cop wasn't being nice -- though we saw no evidence of that -- and made it clear she was upset about getting dinged for no plates on her Rolls Royce.

Watch the clip ... she had an excuse, one the cop clearly wasn't buying. She even tried playing the sympathy card -- mentioning she's recovering from a broken leg -- but no dice.

However, in a true Hollywood moment, a fan happened to walk by and refused to let the selfie opportunity go. We'll say this ... Kimora handled it like a pro.

In the end, she was still annoyed, but admitted getting the ticket was better than ... well, watch.

52-year-old Roy Jones Jr. says he's ready for ANOTHER boxing match after that war with Mike Tyson -- and he's eyeing a UFC legend.

Roy has his sights set on 45-year-old superstar Anderson Silva -- widely considered one of the greatest MMA athletes of all time.

So, why Silva ... and not a rematch with Iron Mike?

"I think [Mike Tyson is] gonna do a fight with Evander Holyfield," Jones said ... "what I'm thinking is I'll probably fight somebody else."

"Truthfully speaking ... my dream next fight will probably be Anderson Silva."

Roy says he's been trying to lock up a fight with Silva for years -- but the timing finally seems right.

"Anderson's available now, I'm available now. So, we've been wanting to box for the longest time. Why not me and Anderson go out there and put it on for the people?!"

Silva was an excellent striker in his heyday -- and as RJJ points out, Anderson had a stint as a pro boxer before he switched to MMA.

In other words, "He knows how to pro box."

Anderson racked up a 34 and 11 record in MMA -- with wins over guys like Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin and more.

Jones says there's no doubt he would DESTROY Silva if the two fought during Roy's prime years -- "but now that I'm older and I'm older than him ... it's something good to look at now because I think his chances are better now than they ever were before."

Before this sweetheart in stripes was singing for audiences all across the world, she was just another cute kid attending the Glastonbury Festival in England.

This little lady has been popular in the public eye for almost two decades ... she has had no shame about talking openly about her struggles within the music industry. Now, this talented star has more to smile about -- last year she married her boyfriend, a hilarious actor who stars in the "Stranger Things" series on Netflix, in an epic Las Vegas ceremony with an Elvis Presley impersonator.

Elon Musk has some expensive bugs to fix -- another unmanned test flight of a SpaceX rocket he hoped would go to Mars went up in flames.

SpaceX nearly completed the successful test flight Wednesday at its facility in South Texas. The plan is for this prototype spacecraft, called SN10, to eventually venture all the way to Mars -- but several minutes after a clean launch and return trip to Earth ... it exploded.

SN10's launch was delayed due to a sputtering engine earlier in the day, but fired up for lift-off around 3 PM PT. It completed its route -- which wasn't meant to go too far up -- and touched down again, seemingly without a hitch.

The official SpaceX broadcast cut out before folks at home could see it blow up, but other streams that were monitoring the action live sure caught the blast.

You can hear someone who was watching it talk about a methane leak, but SpaceX has not said what caused the blast.

We've seen this before with SpaceX's Starship test flights -- this exact thing happened last year at the same facility ... with the same result.

They gave it another go just last month, and the results were identical ... fireballs. Again, these were all unmanned launches.

Machine Gun Kelly's drummer got attacked, robbed and hit by a car ... according to law enforcement sources, but he says he's going to bounce back.

We're told JP Cappelletty -- better known as Rook, MGK's drummer -- was walking down a street in the Hollywood Hills Tuesday night around 8 PM, when 2 guys jumped out of a vehicle to rob him.

Our law enforcement sources say there was a physical altercation, and Rook had thousands of dollars worth of property stolen from him. We're told at some point, he was also hit by a car, which injured his foot and arm.

Rook posted a pic from his hospital bed Wednesday showing his right arm and hand in a cast, and another with MGK visiting him. Rook says, "Don't Worry I'll Bounce Back."

Our sources say the suspects got away, and while it's unclear if they were armed ... they certainly used force to rob the drummer.

Dr. Fauci is gonna sleep well tonight -- officials in Florida have determined Super Bowl LV was NOT a hotspot for COVID-19 ... with just 53 confirmed cases reported in the weeks following the game.

The Hillsborough County health department in Florida released its preliminary report on Super Bowl-related COVID-19 cases on Wednesday ... with chief epidemiologist Michael Wiese announcing case levels were just "a little bit higher" compared to the rest of the state.

Wiese says that small spike was believed to be a result of house parties and gatherings at restaurants and bars -- NOT fans in attendance at the game.

"While we didn’t really have a lot that was associated directly with the Super Bowl, we do know that the community kind of celebrated and got together in response to the events, which did show some increase in the transmission during the weeks afterward," he said.

Super Bowl host committee president and CEO Rob Higgins says more than 280k fans and workers took part in the game and related activities ... but just 1 out of every 4,700 attendees reported a positive test for COVID-19.

During that same time, the health dept. reported 1 in every 99 citizens in the county tested positive for COVID-19.

"Plain and simple, our collective job was to work together to mitigate risk, and the results shared today show that's what happened," Higgins said. "The Super Bowl was not a super-spreader."

Paris Hilton's feeling proud and thankful about the passing of a Utah bill she testified to support, calling it a huge step in the right direction for survivors like herself.

As you'll recall ... Paris testified last month about the alleged abuse she suffered while attending Provo Canyon School as a teen in the '90s, and she says Utah's Senate Bill 127 passing makes much of what she went through back then illegal.

SB127 prohibits Utah's youth treatment centers from certain punishments of children, such as denying food or water, spanking, hitting, or other treatments "intended to frighten or humiliate."

Paris says this includes strip-searches, seclusion, use of chemical restraint and peer restraint and gender-based discrimination ... and adds that the bill does so much more to ensure the well-being of thousands of kids in these Utah facilities.

She says back when she was at Provo she dreamed of making a difference like this, adding ... "The teenage version of me would be so incredibly proud to know I accomplished my goal of protecting youth who are experiencing abuse in the name of treatment. Survivors, this is a BIG step towards systemic change!"

Paris also thanked Utah lawmakers for "listening to us survivors, prioritizing this issue, and taking the necessary steps to protect our future generations."