Disney World Reopens COVID Cases Surging ... Social Distancing Ain't that Great

Disney World just reopened their doors to a couple major parks, and if you asked Goofy how the safety measures were going ... he'd probably say something like, "Oh, gawrsh."

The Mouse House welcomed back guests Saturday to both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom -- Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios are to follow next week -- and on day 1 after being closed for months, the place didn't seem to fully have its act together.

The good news is that just about everyone -- including Disney staff -- were wearing face masks. The problem though ... lines to get in were incredibly long, and it didn't seem like too many people were properly practicing social distancing as they waited to gain entry.

Once inside, it looks like folks were able to spread out a bit more -- plus, they were doing temperature checks at the front gates ... so some reassurances there. Disney hasn't given any hard numbers, but word is they're limiting their park capacity by at least half.

As for how things operate on the inside -- reports say they suspended firework shows and parades to avoid large crowds. Cast members and costumed characters are spread out -- but sure enough, it's the same Disney cheer you always get when roaming the grounds.

Unclear how they're running the rides -- if it's anything like how they're doing it in Shanghai ... each car will look considerably emptier than they usually do. So longer waits there too.

While the park grounds themselves seem to be running according to plan and with apparently effective measures, it's still pretty clear that funneling people in from the beginning is something Disney and co. will have to tighten up. Journalist Carlye Wisel documented some of the s***show from outside -- she decided it was so bad, she left.

Of course, this comes with a backdrop of spiking coronavirus cases throughout the U.S., especially in Florida -- which recorded its highest case count Friday since July 4 and nearly 500 new hospitalizations ... the highest on record there since the pandemic began.

So, yeah -- probably not the best time to hit the on switch -- but then again, Mickey and friends must be fed!!! Safe riding, everyone ...

Houston Police Cop Keeps things Non-Violent During Arrest ... With Community's Help

DE-ESCALATION IN ACTION

This could be the textbook case of how to de-escalate when cops make an arrest, and it has the stamp of approval of one of the leading civil rights attorneys in the country.

Attorney Ben Crump just said this is how it should be done ... with an emphasis on non-violent police tactics in subduing a suspect.

A Houston man was at a gas station Friday, and others present say he appeared to be under the influence and armed, possibly with a butcher knife.

Police came and tried placing the man under arrest. When he's on the ground, you hear a bystander implore the officer, "Don't get on his neck, now."  The cop responds, "I'm on his back."

And, then something startling happens. The officer asks for bystanders to help him. Some people who were present thought the officer was being sarcastic, but he wasn't.

The bystander, whose name is Ulerick Fields, tries to calm the suspect down.  You hear him say, "Chill out. They're going to put the handcuffs on you. Give them your arm, man ... I don't want you to get hurt, man."

In the end, the suspect was not taken into custody but rather to a hospital for mental evaluation.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo was so pleased with the way the arrest was handled, he talked about using it as a training video.

Karen Calls Black Woman 'Good Little Slave' ... Over Mask-Wearing

BUT I'M MEXICAN
Storyful

A Karen in Florida decided to make mask-wearing racial by calling a woman who dared to follow the mandate of her county a "good little slave" ... and wait till you hear why Karen thinks she has a pass.

It went down in Pasco County, Florida Friday, when the 2 women were waiting for a bus. When it arrived, the black woman followed the county's mandate and put on her mask, since she was boarding an enclosed space.

That was enough for Karen to get all racist, but when she was called out, she tried to justify it by saying she was Mexican. News flash ... irrelevant.

Nothing more happened, but one thing is clear ... Karen knew exactly what she was saying, and it's disgusting.

Kanye's VP Pick Michelle Tidball 'Biblical Life Coach' Odd Take on Mental Health

The woman Kanye West has pegged for his Vice President describes herself as a "Biblical life coach," but she also has a mental health background, and some of her past statements on the subject are ... interesting.

Michelle Tidball is the "obscure preacher from Wyoming" Kanye named as his running mate in his instantly infamous interview with Forbes, and though not too much is known about her ... here's her talking about mental illness.

MICHELLE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
yarash.org

TMZ obtained audio of Tidball, which has since been removed from her Yarash.org website, in which she states a key to handling mental illness ... is doing house chores.

In the clip, listed as from a Bible study session from June 2017, Tidball suggests ... "If you would get up every day and make your bed and do your dishes -- you would be better." She adds that in her 10 years working with the mentally ill ... none of them made their beds or did their dishes.

According to Tidball's bio -- which has also now been pulled from her site -- she has pursued God since she was 6 months old and was "slipping away into a crib death." She says she remembers God visiting her in the hospital and she made the decision at 17 to follow him for life.

She claims she has "various degrees in mental health and criminal justice." We've confirmed she earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wyoming in 2003.

Michelle says she worked as a mental health therapist for 10 years before transitioning to life coaching to help people get "unstuck" in their lives "using biblical principals and wisdom."

According to her site, she offers life-coaching sessions for the "suggested donation" of $65 for 50 minutes.

Michelle hails from the city of Cody, which is where Kanye has spent a great deal of time the past few years ... though he made no public mention of her until the Forbes interview.

Her background in mental health is obviously interesting ... as we told you, we're told Kanye's going through a serious bipolar episode right now.

Our sources say his loved ones are concerned and feel his mental illness is affecting his decision-making and controversial statements ... like announcing his presidential candidacy, and speaking with Forbes.

Brooklyn Beckham, Nicola Peltz We're Gettin' Hitched!!!

Brooklyn Beckham will be joining the ranks of married men, because he and GF Nicola Peltz are engaged.

David Beckham's 21-year-old son made the announcement, saying, "Two weeks ago I asked my soulmate to marry me and she said yes xx I am the luckiest man in the world."

Brooklyn, an aspiring photographer, who posted the pic of him and his 25-year-old fiancee, added, "I promise to be the best husband and the best daddy one day ❤️ I love you baby xx."

The 2 have been dating since last year, after meeting at Coachella. They've been seen at various restaurants and clubs in L.A., including The Nice Guy. They also hit up Leo DiCaprio's Halloween bash.

No word on wedding details. Good for them, though, they were able to keep it on the down low for 2 entire weeks!

Congrats!!!

Naya Rivera Underwater Robots Used to Recover Body

MECHANICAL EYES

The search for Naya Rivera continues as authorities are now using a mechanical robot to locate her body.

Ventura County Sheriff's deputies employed the ROV -- remotely operated vehicle -- after spotting a dark shape in the water, which they thought might be a body. After lowering the ROV, deputies discovered the object was a tree branch.

It's apparent how difficult the search is from the images ... divers can only see inches in front of them. Making matters even more difficult ... they don't know where Naya was when she disappeared.

The recovery effort was called off Friday night but will resume at first light Saturday.

As we reported, Naya and her 4-year-old son were swimming in Lake Piru Wednesday when she disappeared. Her son climbed back in the boat and told authorities he was swimming with his mom but she never got back on the boat.

In addition to the ROV, authorities are using side-scan sonar, dogs and divers to locate Naya's body.

MOMENTS BEFORE
Ventura County Sheriff's Office

The Ventura County Sheriff released security camera footage Thursday from the boat launch where Naya and her son rented a pontoon boat on the lake.

As we reported, more than 20,000 people have now signed a petition demanding that the dangers of Lake Piru -- with all the debris in the water -- be made clear to anyone who wants to boat or swim in the lake. Naya would be the 9th drowning victim at the Lake since the mid-'90s.

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'Tiger King' Zoo Remains Not Human ... It's Got a Tail!!!

UPDATE

8:03 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us no human remains were found. They did uncover some animal bones that appear to be the skeleton of small animal with a tail.

UPDATE

Law enforcement considers the matter closed, and have left the premises.

Something's rotten at the original "Tiger King" zoo, now owned by Jeff Lowe -- 2 cadaver dogs have zeroed in on what their trainer believes are human remains ... TMZ has learned.

We're told the dogs were brought in as part of an episode of Zak Bagans' "Ghost Adventures." Our sources say the dogs picked up the scent Thursday ... in the alligator pit.

The local sheriff's deputies are on the scene right now, and we're told they're currently discussing a method to determine if remains are there ... and, if so, how to dig them up safely.

The zoo, in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, was originally Joe Exotic's baby ... before he partnered with Jeff, and then got convicted in federal court for murder-for-hire and various animal abuse charges. He's currently serving a 22 year sentence.

Sources connected with Joe tell TMZ ... Joe has said there are ashes of 4 people buried on the property as a memorial --  people who chose to make the zoo their final resting place. The sources did not identify whose ashes were there.

Originally Published -- 4:48 PM PT

What's The Big Frigin' Difference?

Don't let these two almost identical images of Derek Hough have you feeling confused ... Grab a coffee of your own and focus in to see if you can find the sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!

The professional dancer was recently spotted out running errands in Los Angeles, CA ... and we have made a few changes to the pic for your viewing pleasure.

Take a really good look around these photos and see if you have what it takes to spot the differences between these super similar snaps!

**HINT -- There are THREE differences in the above photographs.**

Matt Lauer Dating Life Getting a Yacht Better ... I'm Very 'Resilient'!!!

DATE NIGHT
TMZ.com

Matt Lauer is enjoying himself as a newly-single bachelor ... wining and dining his date and taking her for a ride on his $1.4 million floating escape that screams resilience.

The fired "Today" show host pulled out all the stops this week while on a date with a mystery brunette in Orient, NY, a picturesque town at the end of the North Fork of Long Island.

Check out these videos and pics of Matt and his mystery woman as they dine at Duryea's Orient Point. They're awfully chatty as they pick at a shared vegetable platter.

Things went well for Matt ... after an hour at their table, the two left the fancy restaurant and boarded his yacht, named "Resilient."

As you know ... Matt was canned from NBC in Nov. 2017 in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against him, and not long after his wife, Annette Roque, filed for divorce. He's now officially single.

Matt's on his best behavior here ... helping his date onto his expensive Hinckley T38 yacht before shoving off and taking the wheel as they head out into the beautiful blue waters for more summer fun. They even wore masks in public.

While Matt's date remains a mystery ... she bears a striking resemblance to Shamin Abas, his longtime friend who reportedly started dating him toward the end of last year. Abas, by the way, looks a lot like his ex-wife.

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

The country's in trouble, folks. Lots of anger and lots of COVID. So we gotta ask ...

Cancel Christopher Columbus Holiday ...

Trump Cheated On SAT Test ...

I Trust Dr. Fauci ...

Getting COVID ...

If It Came Down To It, I'd Vote For ...

More With It Mentally

Central Park Karen ...

DeSean Jackson Anti-Semitic Post ...

I Will Vote In November

Patrick Mahomes Hits Casino After $500 Mil Contract ... Feelin' Lucky?!

THE FUN DOESN'T STOP
TMZSports.com

Gotta love a dude who's betting on himself ... after signing the largest contract in NFL history!

Check out Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and their significant others hitting the casino in Lake Tahoe on Thursday night ... keeping the party going after a day on the water.

JULY 2020
IT'S GOOD TO BE ME

Unclear if Patrick actually did any wagering -- but it's gotta be a GREAT feeling knowing your bank account will soon be bigger than all of the progressive jackpots in the building COMBINED!

Of course, even the most wealthy pro athletes love to gamble -- just ask Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson and more.

Earlier in the week, Mahomes and his crew flew in on a private jet -- BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY ROLL NOW!!!

Once they touched down, they hopped in a custom Coors Lite RV before having their own private boat party on the lake ... complete with diving, dancing and celebrating.

Live it up ... just remember to stay healthy -- and check out the financial advice "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran dished out this week. She'll help you STAY rich!

Cardi B Files for Trademark ... Smells Like Baby Fever, Okurrr!!!

Cardi B's got babies on her mind ... and she's also seeing green, 'cause it appears she's about to dive into the baby clothing biz!!!

According to docs, obtained by TMZ ... the rapper wants to trademark her name for a new children's clothing line to make just about everything for little ones ... from bottoms, shirts and sweaters to bibs, onesies and headwear.

All would be embroidered with her name. We can see it now -- "Get these Cardi Bibs on your kid before every meal!!!"

It only makes sense for Cardi to get in the baby clothing biz. She's already proven to be a dominant player in the fashion world. You'll recall her Fashion Nova line was an instant hit. She's also, in the past, teamed up with Tom Ford and Reebok, to name a few.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

But, with Cardi getting more business savvy and her daughter, Kulture, growing up so fast -- it was only a matter of time before Mama Cardi launched her own baby clothing line.

Need a clue this was coming? Just peep her Instagram Stories. It seems lately Cardi's been incredibly sentimental about Kulture turning 2 ... while adopting some of her mom's fashion sense. The kid's got class.

UFC's Demian Maia Predicts Winner of Usman Vs. Masvidal ... I Fought 'Em Both!

MIX IT UP
TMZSports.com

Demian Maia is the ONLY MAN who's fought both Kamaru Usman AND Jorge Masvidal ... and he's got a gut feeling about who's gonna win at UFC 251.

Remember Maia BEAT Jorge Masvidal back in May 2017 -- in a 3 round split decision.

But, he took an "L" to Usman when they clashed a year later in 2018 in a 5 round unanimous decision.

So, with both of Demian's former opponents set to do battle tonight on Fight Island, we had to ask ... WHO YA GOT?!

Short answer ... Kamaru Usman -- and here's why.

"Fights is all about styles and matchups. It doesn't mean that if I had a difficult time with Kamaru and I won against Jorge, doesn't mean that the same will reflect on the fight," Maia says.

"I think there's some things that makes this fight more Kamaru favorite for this fight. I think he's more well-rounded, he's a very good wrestler and he's also you know he had that full camp."

"Masvidal, ya know, he didn't have this camp, he just got this fight so that's why I think Kamaru is the favorite, but MMA is a crazy sport."

There's more ... Maia also told us how Jorge can upset the reigning welterweight champ in the UFC 251 main event.

FIGHT ISLAND!!!

'The Baby-Sitter's Club' Reboot It Pays To Watch Babies ... Try $15k Per Episode!!!

These babysitters are making some serious loot ... 3 of the stars of "The Baby-Sitters Club" reboot are getting huge paydays!!!

14-year-old actresses Shay Rudolph, Sophie Grace and Xochitl Gomez are making quite the bundle to look after babies and hang out with their BFFs on Netflix's new adaption of Ann M. Martin’s coming-of-age novels.

According to the girls' minors contracts -- obtained by TMZ -- Shay, Sophie and Xochitl are each raking in a cool $15,000 per episode for the first season.

Shay, who plays Stacey McGill, and Sophie, who plays Kristy Thomas, are getting paid for 9 episodes in the 10-episode season ... so they're each earning a pretty hefty $135,000 overall. Pretty good babysitting gig.

Xochitl, who plays Dawn Shaefer, is getting paid for 7 episodes ... so she's taking home $105,000. Still, not bad.

If the reboot gets picked up for more seasons, the teen stars are in line for even bigger paychecks. The trio would each earn $16,500 per episode in the 2nd season, $18,150 per episode in the 3rd, $19,965 per episode in the 4th and $21,961.50 per episode if it goes all the way to a 5th season.

This is the babysitting club you want to be in!!!

Hot Stars Sippin’ Cool Spritzers Drink 'Em In!

The bars and clubs may be closed this summer but it hasn't stopped these sexy celebs from taking time to sit back, relax, and grab a bubbly drink while staying safe.

Celebs like Jourdan Dunn, Kate Upton, Taylor Hill, Kylie Jenner, Corinne Olympios and Reese Witherspoon are just a few of the Hollywood hotties that are making a real splash sharing these refreshing shots on social media!

Mix things up for yourself by popping into our gallery of celebs with their summer spritzers and get some cool cocktail inspiration (alcohol not required) from these stars that are embracing happy hour!

Salud!

Kim Kardashian West I Want Justice For Stephon Clark ... Shot And Killed By Cops

Kim Kardashian West is leading a renewed call for justice in the death of Stephon Clark, who was shot and killed by police officers in Sacramento, after being contacted by his sister.

Kim is calling on her 179 million Instagram followers to sign a petition pressuring Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert to bring charges against the officers who fatally shot Clark back in 2018 in his grandparent's backyard.

KKW sprung into action after getting a series of Instagram DMs from Clark's sister, Tiana Parker, a model for KKW Beauty who approached Kim with her brother's story and her family's failed quest for justice.

A father of two, Clark was killed when he was just 22 years old after cops fired 20 rounds at him while responding to a call about someone breaking car windows in the night. Police said they believed he was armed, but investigators later discovered he was only holding a cellphone.

Kim responded to Tiana's cry for help ... telling her she was in contact with folks on the ground in Sacramento and promising to bring attention to Clark's death at the hands of police.

The petition Kim spotlighted is seeking 15,000 signatures ... and it's gotten 14,716 and counting.

Old news is old news!
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